Strengths of Brotherhood
by Elillierose
Summary: First, this is a sequel to Depths of Brotherhood, and I heavily suggest reading that one first. A familiar face shows back up and creates a whole new string of problems for our little sunshine. This will be heavy with the psychological torment. MT mentions as well *Spoilers* *Depression* *PTSD* *Stalking* *Psychological Torment*
1. A Little Down

**Ok, so I saw the opportunity for a sequel, and I took it. o3o I'm homing to make this a bit on the darker side of things. And at times, Prompto may seem a bit out of character, but I'm sure that's understandable.**

 **Beta read by Sinikka_von_Wolperting and istoleyourcheesecake (I am so sorry, I still haven't figured out how to link profiles)**

* * *

He didn't know what day it was anymore, and if he were being honest with himself, he really didn't care. It could have been a few days give or take, but it all seemed to mesh together into one elongated period of time; one that had no mornings or nights or anything to represent what point in the day it was. All he knew was that it had to be day time when the blinds were pulled open and unwarranted rays assaulted his sensitive eyes. Wrapping his arms over his eyes, he turned over to his side, trying to get away from the offending light. "Come on, you can't stay in here forever, ya know."

Prompto peeked out from under his makeshift barrier, landing his gaze on Gladio, who was leaned up next to the window. He said nothing and merely covered his face back up.

"We have things to do and places to go." The larger man spoke louder now and he felt a shift in the bed as the weight sat next to him, "Up. I'm sure the sunlight will do you some good." He patted the other on the upper arm lightly, relieved that he no longer reacted to the touch.

"I know." The blond breathed out, slowly pushing himself up before running a hand through his hair. "I need a shower." He more so told himself after feeling the slight slickness that coated his locks. Though he still didn't feel up to doing anything that required moving, he hoped deep down that maybe it would help wash away some of his ever-present fatigue.

"Well, take your time, we don't plan on leaving until later." Once he heard the bathroom door close, he let out a deep and thoughtful sigh as he glanced around their hotel room. The same room they've been in for just over a week now. The place looked thoroughly lived in by this point. Retrieving his phone from his back pocket, he checked the time; one-thirty p.m. It dinged in his hand and a message from Noctis popped up, reading, 'Is Prom up yet? We're almost back.'

Glancing back up at the bathroom door, he heard the water start running and quickly typed back: 'Yeah, he's in the shower now.'

Another ding, 'Iggy said to see if you can get him to eat something this time.'

'Yeah.' He replied and stuffed his phone back away. He let his eyes slide shut for a few moments and fell back, relishing in the softness of the sheets for a bit while he could. He didn't realize how long he had been lying there until he heard the water stop and the shower door creak open. Sitting back up, he waited until the bathroom door opened and Prompto walked out, wearing the same clothes he had been when he walked in.

Gladio got back to his feet and made his way over to the kitchen area, "Hey, you hungry?" He asked, hearing the sound of the other flopping back down on the mattress. He turned to find the blond lying face down. "Hey, did you hear me?" He crossed his arms and leaned against one of the counters.

"Yeah." He turned his head just far enough so his voice wouldn't be muffled. "Yeah, I heard you," he clarified, "Not exactly hungry though."

"Willing to eat anyway?" He suggested more than asked.

"I dunno, maybe." He debated with himself. He didn't have the appetite, but at the same time, he knew he should. If not for himself then for them at least.

Gladio hummed to himself as he pushed himself from the counter and began digging through the mini-fridge, looking around for the leftovers. "Well, if you don't, you'll have to go through another one of Ignis' lectures, and I'm pretty sure neither of us wants to hear that again."

Prompto groaned at the memory of it, only happening a few days ago over the same thing, and groaned to himself, "Not really," he answered. With more effort than he thought necessary, he hefted himself up into a sitting position, moving to the edge of the bed and threw his legs over the side of it. He gazed down at his hands in his lap, the blisters that marred them were long gone by now, but they still felt strange to him.

"Everything alright?" The question broke him out of his reverie as his eyes snapped up to meet Gladio's.

"Uh, yeah." He shook his head to clear it of undesired recollections. "Just zoning out a bit." Taking a deep steadying breath, he jumped up to his feet and stepped over next to the other to lean on his elbows against the counter. Feigning cheerfulness, he tried to start up a conversation, "So, where we headed to this time?" He cut his eyes over to the other, keeping his head straight.

"We talked about it yesterday," Gladio reminded. A quick look over told him that Prompto had completely checked out during that conversation, "We're going to Lestallum. We have a few things we need to take care of there. Plus, I want to check up in Iris."

"She's gonna be there?" Prompto asked, feeling somewhat interested now.

"For a little while, yeah," Gladio replied, finally finding what he was searching for as he pulled the plate out and sat it on the counter. He took a plastic fork from its packaging and pointed the prongs in the blond's direction, "Don't get any ideas."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Wouldn't dream of it." He folded his arms on the counter's surface and placed his head down on them, "My heart belongs to someone else."

"Mmmhmm," Gladio smirked at the other, scraping the leftover rice onto a more microwave friendly plate before placing it in and starting it up. "And how is that going for you so far?" He pressed with a tinge of humor.

Prompto cut his eyes up, "She loves me, she just doesn't know it yet." Gladio saw a bit of that familiar light in his eyes that had been missing for what felt like forever. The blond jolted up right and quickly tossed his attention over to the door as the unexpected entrance of Noctis and Ignis startled the both of them. "Welcome home," Prompto waved to them as they passed the threshold once his heart settled down.

"Look who decided to move," Noctis joked as he walked by and settled in one of the chairs, propping his feet up on the foot of the bed. Ignis trailed in behind him, roughly shoving the prince's feet back to the floor, who in then held up his hands defensively.

The shrill beeping brought Prompto back to Gladio who removed the plate and stuck the fork in the center of the rice. He placed it in front of the blond, "More than a few bites this time." He replied with a curt nod and picked up the fork. For a while he only pushed things around and twirling the fork in his hands. "Prompto. Eat."

"Alright, I got it." He scooped up a small amount and brought up to his nose, smelling it and grimacing at the scent. With another glance at Gladio, who still had his eyes on him, he slowly took the bite, forcing himself to chew and swallow the bland substance.

"Good." The larger man said, "Now keep doing that." He turned his back now, trusting him to keep to his word this time. "Got everything we need?" he asked Ignis, who was seated in the other chair, sipping on a cup of coffee he must have picked up while they were out.

"I believe we are stocked up well enough." He left out the part about running low on money now due to paying for the hotel room as long as they did. "I left it all in the Regalia. Once everyone is ready we need to clean things up here and get back on the road." He took another sip before placing the cup on the table and standing up. "I'll go ahead and get started." He threw a look over to the prince, "And if it's not too much to ask, you can assist."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." His voice took on a complaining tone and he begrudgingly pulled himself to his feet. He started with the few articles of clothing that were littered throughout the place, haphazardly folding them and piling them up. The place wasn't exactly a mess, mainly because Ignis never let it get that far, but it was to the point to be an inconvenience for them. He realized that most of the clothes he picked up belonged to the three of them, Prompto having worn the same thing almost the whole time. Just like every other thing, he didn't comment on it.

He looked over to the blond as he straightened up, plate still in hand as the strode over to the trash can. He could still see a decent amount of rice still on it, "You done?" The question came from Gladio. "You barely even touched it."

"It was enough," he quickly defended, "It's more than last time, so that's something, right?" He met the other's eyes, practically begging him to just let it go.

Gladio offered a heavy and exasperated sigh, causing the other to feel a slight tinge of guilt, "Ok, just go ahead." He gestured towards the trash, "I can't make you eat if you don't want to." Turning around to help the others, he could make out the scraping of fork on plate behind him. "Think we'll be able to arrive by tonight?"

"If we leave soon enough, then yes." Ignis replied coolly, taking an armful of their belongings and took it out the door.

"What else is there left to do?" Prompto came up to stand next to him, hands on his hips. He turned towards the sink and busied himself with washing dishes before anyone else could reply. Gladio brushed it off, assuming it was just his way of distracting himself.

Striding over to Noctis, he grabbed him by the wrist and whispered, "A quick word." And began to basically drag the prince out the door.

"What the hell is this about?" Noctis snatched his arm away defensively, more shocked at being hauled out. "Why are we out here?" He gestured to the air around them.

"It's about him," Gladio replied, pointing a thumb to the door.

"What about him?" Noctis followed with his eyes, "I mean, yeah, he's still a bit off, but can you blame him?"

"That's not what I mean," the shield replied, placing a hand on the other's shoulder, "He hasn't left this place since we got here, and we both know that can't be good for his health."

"And what am I supposed to do about that, drag him out?" Noctis responded sarcastically.

"No." Gladio rolled his eyes and released his hold, "Look, when we get to Lestallum, just do whatever you can to get him out; we can't let him hole himself up in the hotel again like he did here."

"Having a pleasant conversation, are we?" They both looked over, finding Ignis standing a few feet away, arms crossed. "Prompto's a tad despondent, but he's not stupid."

"What are you talking about?" Noctis asked, confused now, "No one said he was stupid."

Ignis took a deep breath out of annoyance, "The two of you came out here to discuss his condition, and you don't think he'll think anything of it? Try giving him a bit of credit next time." He unfolded his arms to push his glasses up, and pushed passed the others to go back inside. Neither one said anything as he closed the door behind him.

They both took a deep breath, and with a knowing nod to one another, trailed after the adviser. Noctis went in first, peeking around the corner, half expecting Prompto to be waiting for them and expecting an answer, but instead found him lying back down, flat on his back as he stared up at the ceiling. The dishes were in a neat little pile next to the sink. He lifted his head and locked eyes for a moment when he heard them enter. "That was a quick walk." There was no spite in his words, no questioning, it sounded just like it was, a statement.

"Yeah, we just needed some fresh air." Noctis rubbed the back of his head nervously, catching the sideways glance Ignis threw his way as he shook his head. He took a deep breath and decided to come clean, "Prom, I'm sorry, but we have to discuss this..." He looked around the room, "All of this."

"What are you talking about?" The blond asked, sitting up to properly look at the other as he spoke.

"Gladio's right, you haven't left this place in a week, so when we get to Lestallum, we're going to go out and around. You don't have a choice in the matter." There was a slight falter in his expression. "And maybe it will help take your mind off things."

"I'm sure Iris would even like to show you guys around a bit," Gladio added in, knowing Prompto wouldn't be able to deny that offer and risk disappointing his little sister. That would be their trump card in all this, it seemed.

"Ok," Prompto nodded. He still looked terrified about the proposition, the idea of walking around in a city filled with people he didn't know honestly unsettled him. But, knowing he wouldn't be alone helped to calm his nerves for the most part. "Ok, I'll go." His hands unintentionally gripped at the sheets as he chewed on his lower lip, visibly uncomfortable.

"No going back on your word," Noctis warned. "So, the moment we get settled in and get everything out of the way, we're going out."

Ignis spoke up, changing the subject out of nowhere, "Now that that's taken care of, we should really get going. We've wasted time dilly-dallying. So, if everyone is ready, let's get going." He clapped his hands together, and waited until Gladio and Noctis left; Prompto, on the other hand, was a bit more reluctant on the exit. "I know it's difficult, but you knew you couldn't stay in here forever."

"I know, I know." With a deep and steadying breath, he forced his body to stand up, and carefully, one hesitant step at a time, he slowly made his way to the door. "Alright, it's not that big of a deal." He said quietly, trying to convince himself. Without putting anymore thought into it, he pushed the door open and stepped outside, Ignis stepping out next to him.

"Go ahead to the Regalia, I'll return the key to the front desk." He was more or less forcing the blond to get used to walking alone. It wasn't that far to the car, but it looked like a marathon in his eyes. Moving much faster now, he reached the others in a matter of seconds and climbed into the front seat and immediately closed himself off from the outside world.

"See? Now that wasn't so bad." Prompto jumped at Gladio's voice, nearly forgetting they were out here as well.

"Dammit!" he breathed out, "You can't sneak up on people like that." Prompto laughed it off, relaxing a bit. He ran his hands over the interior leather, it seemed somewhat soothing, and it felt like it had been forever since he last felt it. "But to answer your question, no, it wasn't so bad." A couple moments passed and the driver's side door opened and Ignis slipped in silently and instantly started the Regalia.

"Everyone situated?" He asked, turning on the radio to help fill the silence. With confirmation from everyone, he pulled out. Prompto kept his attention out of the window, watching the hotel as it slowly got out of view, then switching his focus onto the stretches of sand. Each time a large boulder came into view, he would keep his eyes settled on it until it too was no longer visible.

After about an hour on the road, he reached a hand towards the radio out of habit and tentatively pressed one of the buttons, changing the station. Ten changes later, "Man, all this music sucks. I swear it all sounds the same."

"That's because they find a formula that works and then every other artist jumps on board," Gladio answered, despite it not being a question. "There's hasn't been anything 'good' for a while now. You could always read instead."

Prompto pursed his lips in though, "Nah, books aren't really my thing."

"Is it because you never learned to read?" he replied teasingly.

The blond scoffed in response, "Excuse me, I can read thank you very much. I just choose not to unless I have to." He peered back to take a look at what the other was reading. "Whatcha readin' anyway?"

He peeked over the top of the pages, "You know, stuff," he answered vaguely, trying to rile the other up if he was able. "Why don't you read it and find out?"

Much to his disappointment, the blond gave up easily, "Eh, maybe sometime I'll give it a try, but for now I'm good."

"Suit yourself, but it's pretty damn good." His eyes drifted back down to the words in front of him, leaving Prompto to go back to playing with the radio. A quick glance over to Noctis told him he was out for the count, and as he was absorbed back into his story the perpetually changing music was soon drowned out.

Things seemed to be a bit on the normal side of things for now, but they all knew that wouldn't last very long. Just a few days ago, he seemed to be mostly back to his old self, but that quickly went back downhill as he reverted back to keeping to himself and shutting the rest of them out. It was hard to get their hopes up every time he showed a bit of his old self to them. But they were optimistic about a change of scenery improving his mental state. Being so close to where everything took place was more than likely doing nothing to improve that.

* * *

 **This one may take a bit longer to get chapters out since I do have this going through two other people this time. ^-^**


	2. New Message

The once blue and bright sky was now very quickly taking on an orange hue as the sun began to take its leave. The wind changed from refreshing to more of a chill. A few hours had passed since they'd set on the road and the glow from the street lights showed themselves in the distance as the night time hustle began in Lestallum. Prompto sat up a little straighter in his seat when they were close enough to start making out individual lights. "Wow." He breathed out, completely in awe at the sight of it. "Almost forgot how beautiful this place was, especially at night."

Ignis smiled to himself when he saw the blond take out his camera out of the corner of his eye. "Quite breath-taking if I do say so myself." He glanced at Gladio through the rear-view mirror, "Iris does know about our visiting, doesn't she?"

Gladio perked up a bit at the question, "Um, I may have forgotten to fill her in on it, but I did tell her we would be dropping by sometime." He shrugged, "Eh, I'm sure she'll appreciate a surprise." He closed his book and set it aside as it quickly became too dim to make out the words. "Hey, wake your ass up." He nudged Noctis with his elbow, leaving out any gentleness.

With a grumble, the prince swatted his arm away, "Knock it off, I'm up." He pulled himself away from the door, rubbing at the imprint the leather left on the side of his face. "Oh, we're there?" He asked, surprised he actually slept the whole way.

"No, I woke you up for no reason," the shield replied sarcastically.

Noctis cut his eyes over, ignoring the obvious joke. He locked his fingers together and stretched his arms upwards, groaning against the stiffness of his muscles from having slept in such an awkward position for so long. "I'm ready to hurry up and get out." He relaxed back against the seat, shifting slightly to get himself comfortable.

"Well, good news then," Ignis said as he made another turn, finally reaching the city. He slowly pulled to a stop, parking the Regalia, "Alright, time to get everything taken care of. I'll go do that, you all can start grabbing what you need." He gave another glance over to Prompto before getting out and working his way over to their hotel.

He was about to get out as well, but let his hand rest on the door handle for a moment as a couple passed by. Once they were far enough away, he deemed it safe to exit. The whole thing seemed ridiculous to him, considering the roof was down already. Slapping himself mentally, he turned to Gladio who was out a few seconds before him. "Soooo, where exactly is I-"

"Gladdy!" Iris' voice broke through the normal bustle of the city easily. He turned his head in time to see the owner of the voice bound over as she latched onto the man.

"Heyyy!" Gladio returned the hug.

She gave him a smile as he released her hold, "I ran into Ignis and he said you guys were out here." She glanced back at the entrance, "So, where's Noct?" She peeked around, catching sight of him before her brother could answer. "There you are." She walked around to him in her bubbly manner before greeting him with the same hug, "It's been so long."

"Yeah," Noctis wheezed out. "I see inhuman strength runs in the family." He took in a dramatic breath when she finally let go.

"You better believe it does," Gladio laughed, "We're brought up knowing how to defend ourselves after all."

Iris gave Noctis another smile and glanced around, almost forgetting about the last member of the group. "And Prompto." Without hesitation, she skipped over, throwing her arms around him now without warning. As her arms wrapped around, something felt different to her. He felt so small to her, and she wasn't sure, but she could have sworn he tensed up for a fraction of a second.

"H-hey," he stammered out after a moment as he hugged back. "How have things been?" He asked casually, trying his best to sound as though he were actually interested.

She pushed herself away to answer, keeping her eyes up on his face. "They've been alright, I guess." She offered a warm smile, scanning up to his hair, which looked like a pure mess to her. "You, uh, you look different." She did what she could to not sound too offensive, she didn't mean it that way anyway.

"Oh, well, I uh..." He tripped over his own words, not sure what to say about it.

"We didn't give him enough time to pretty himself up," Gladio spoke up after cursing himself for not warning Iris about anything. "He had time to shower and that's it, so no fancy hairdo."

She nodded at that, "Yeah, didn't realize a bit of hair styling could make such a difference." She didn't buy it for a second, but rolled with it. "Let's get inside, it's freezing out here." Waving them over as she walked, they followed into the hotel lobby where they waited for Ignis to finish up. "How long do you guys plan on staying?" she asked Gladio.

"Hmm." He thought to himself. "I'm not sure, not too long though. Might just be for the night and tomorrow." He saw the slight fall of her expression, "Come on, it's not like we're never coming back."

"I know, but still. I don't get to see you guys very much anymore."

"You know, there is a thing called phone." Gladio lightly punched her upper arm playfully, "You should try it out sometime." He got quiet as Ignis walked over, key in hand.

"Things are taken care of, we can head to our room now." As the others began to follow, Gladio hung onto his sister's wrist, pulling her aside as everyone else left.

"Hey, there's something I didn't tell you." He kept his voice low, "It's about Prompto, and I really should have said something to you earlier, but I guess it slipped my mind. Anyway, these last couple of weeks have been pretty rough, so if he behaves a little strangely, don' think too much of it."

"What happened?" she asked, concern clear in her eyes now as she glanced in the direction the others had gone, who were now out of sight.

Gladio took a deep breath, "A lot happened, just know that things are still a little rocky." He patted her on the shoulder as he stepped by, "Come on, let's go before they get their panties in a twist wondering where we are." Iris nodded in understanding and jogged over to walk next to him.

* * *

Noctis already had himself sprawled out on one of the beds, stretching over it as if he owned the place. Just as he was getting comfortable, the door opened and Gladio and Iris strode in, pulling him out of his trance, and the larger of the two planted a solid look at the prince, "You know, Iris was just telling me of this little restaurant she found the other day." His words were lathered in suggestion.

"Really?" Noctis asked, getting the hint and begrudgingly sitting up now. "And where exactly would this be?"

He gestured to Iris, "Beats me, but she can take you there." He took a seat in one of the chairs next to Ignis, "Where's Prom?" he asked after not catching sight of him anywhere in the room.

After a sip from his cup, Ignis pointed towards the balcony door, "Said he wanted to get a view of the city." Gladio nodded as he looked through the window, seeing the blond himself standing there as he turned his head side to side, looking everything over. A quick look over to Noctis, and he was up and heading towards the door now, tapping his fingers against the glass to get the other's attention. With a small wave of his hand, Prompto nodded and stepped over to the door coming back inside.

"We're about to head out, you ready?" Noctis asked the moment the door was closed behind him.

Prompto swiftly nodded once, a lock of hair falling into his face and he suddenly remembered what Iris had said earlier. Now conscious of how he looked, he held up a finger to Noctis, "One moment," he called over his shoulder as he jogged over to the bathroom. As he closed the door behind him he gazed into the mirror, finally looking at himself after a week. And Iris was right, he did look a lot different. He was just looking at his face, but that was enough to see how much thinner he looked.

Noctis and Iris waited outside the hotel room, making small talk until Prompto was ready. It was mainly about what they've been up to, and he made sure to leave out the events of the mines. He was listening intently as she brushed over what life had been like for her lately, not going too much into detail about anything really. They both ceased their conversation when they heard the click of the door open.

"Ok, I think I'm ready now." Both sets of eyes landed on Prompto, both being drawn straight to his hair, which was styled back to how he usually had it. Maybe not as well kept as it normally looked, but hey, he put effort into it at the very least.

Iris clapped her hands together, "Alright then, let's go before it gets too crowded."

"Crowded?" Prompto asked, sounding a little nervous about it.

"It's a pretty popular place on the weekend, so we better get going." She grabbed both of them by the wrist and started tugging them along, not giving them a chance to protest. "Come on," she said joyfully.

"Hey." Noctis tried to say something, but she wasn't having any part of it. He was expecting Prompto to have some sort of reaction to this, but was surprised to see him going along with it. Not so much as a word was spoken against this. "So, how far is this place?"

"It's not too far, maybe a few minutes of walking to get there." She flashed a quick smile as they reached the lobby and walked out the front door back out into the streets of the city. The chill of the air hit her immediately and she couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Oh." Prompto instantly noticed and removed his own vest, offering it to her, "Um, well, it may not help much," he realized, staring at the sleeveless garment.

"Don't worry about it," she assured, "I'll warm up once we start walking, so it's fine."

"Are you sure?" Noctis asked, "I mean I can go with or without mine, so it wouldn't be much trouble."

"Plus, if you catch a cold, Gladio will never let us live it down," Prompto added, shuddering from the thought of his wrath should anything happen to his precious sibling. "And you know how he can hold a grudge, I'm sure."

Iris gave a light sigh and held out a hand, "Alright, you guys win." She took the offered jacket and threw it on, ignoring the way it hung off her small frame. "Thank you, your highness," she bowed dramatically in her appreciation and turned on her heel, "Right this way." She gave a full handed point in the direction they would be heading.

They were now wandering down a few back streets, and Prompto wouldn't admit it, but he felt a little more at ease not having to wander by so many people. But, that didn't stop every noise and clatter make him a little nervous.

One particular noise pulled his focus and he stopped for a moment to gaze down another alley where it sounded from. It was probably nothing, but it was loud enough to cause some degree of curiosity. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard, choosing to leave it be and deciding not to check things out. The last time he decided to be nosy didn't go over well. Realizing he was most likely standing there far too long, he briskly walked to catch up to the others, keeping his eyes on the street just to be cautious.

The impact that occurred directly afterwards brought back flashes of when ran into Gladio, and for a split moment he felt confusion and fear. His first instinct was to run, but he tried to remind himself that he was out of that place. "Are you alright?" He snapped his eyes up and looked into the face of whoever he ran into.

"I-uh-yeah, yeah, I'm good." He paused as he looked over the other, he seemed somehow familiar. "Do I know you?" It came out before he could stop it.

"I don't believe I've ever met you," the man replied rather quickly. "Excuse me, but I really need to get going." He lowered his head as he moved around the blond, near jogging as he turned down another branch of backstreets.

"Hey Prom, you coming?" He snapped out of his trance and turned to look towards Noctis and Iris, both of them were at the end of the alley now, light from the street lights spilling in from behind them. Glancing back occasionally, he ran and caught up to them. "Who was that?" Noctis pointed off in the directing the other man had run.

"No idea," Prompto replied in a near whisper, giving another look behind him.

"We're almost there," Iris announced as she was the first to step out into the busy street, shielding her eyes from the blinding lights after traversing in near darkness for the last few minutes. "It's just around the corner."

The other two covered their eyes in the same manner as they rounded the corner, the sounds of conversations being carried out filled the air as people went on about their nights. Prompto unconsciously drifted closer to the other two, scanning over the various people. He absolutely despised how on edge he was, it was really starting to annoy him. He should be trying to enjoy himself, dammit, but instead he was questioning every movement and sound.

He stayed close to the others, forcing himself to walk normally without flinching away from every person that got too close for comfort. "And here we are." He stopped suddenly to prevent himself from toppling Iris over. He peeked around her to gaze upon this place that was supposedly so great. And it looked like a nice and cozy little place, though like she had said, there did seem to be quite a few people when taking into account how small the place was. "Don't worry," she began, before they could ask, "We can order to go and sit somewhere else if you'd like."

"Yeah, that might be ideal," Noctis agreed, scanning the area and noticing how every available seat was taken, some people even standing and talking as they enjoyed their meals.

After waiting in line for a bit longer than they expected, it was finally their turn to order, and with mutual agreement, and with the suggestion of Iris, they got three orders of mushroom kabobs. Food in hand, she led them to a few benches placed a few yards away from the commotion. It still wasn't completely isolated from everything, but it was a lot more peaceful.

Both Iris and Noctis were already eating theirs, Prompto on the other hand stared at it for a moment. "Go on, I promise you'll love it," Iris encouraged, taking another bit out of her own.

Not wanting to sour the mood, he finally took a small bite from the top mushroom, and found it to be surprisingly delicious. "Not bad," He said in the middle of chewing before swallowing. "Not bad at all."

"Don't tell Ignis that, he might get jealous," Noctis joked in between mouthfuls.

Prompto gave him a slight chuckle, "Yeah, better not tell him. I'll just say it was 'meh'." He twisted the skewer around between his fingers and willingly took another bite. "How did you find this place anyway?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Iris laughed to herself before answering, "Funny story actually. I kinda got lost the other day and stumbled upon it." She shrugged to herself, "But they say everything happens for a reason, so I guess getting lost was a good thing."

They all carried on, laughing here and there at the occasional joke or amusing story, and eventually they lost track of time. The dying-down of the noise behind them indicated to them how late it was getting. "How long have we been here?" Prompto asked, reaching for his phone, but coming up empty handed. "Wha-?" He looked around him, thinking that maybe he sat it down and forgot, but it was still nowhere to be seen. "That's weird."

"What is it?" Noctis asked, glancing over at his frantic search.

"I think I lost my phone," he said quietly, checking his pockets for the third time. "Don't tell me I dropped it somewhere."

"Maybe you just left it at the hotel," Noctis offered, "You can be pretty forgetful, you know."

"No, I remember grabbing it." Then he remembered when he had that earlier accident. "It must have fallen out then. With that guy," he clarified.

Iris got to her feet, "We can go back through there on the way back and check. I'm not in a hurry to get back, so it'll be no trouble." She saw him visibly unwind.

He nodded, "Yeah, that'll be alright." He leaned down to pick up his plate and half-eaten kabob, extending a hand to take the plates from the other two as well. "I'll go throw these away, be right back."

Upon coming back, they backtracked their way back the alley, Noctis using his own phone as a flashlight. Rounding the corner, the light reflected off something on the ground, and the blond sighed in relief recognizing it as his phone. "Thought for sure someone would have picked it up." He sounded genuinely amazed at the fact that it stayed there for as long as it did without getting stolen.

With that mystery solved, they managed to make it back to the hotel without further incidents. Iris bid them both a goodnight, turning down the offer to be walked back to her own room. They were both quiet entering their room on the chance the others were already asleep, which they were. They were on separate beds, so Noctis naturally took the one with Gladio, knowing that even though he was better about it, waking up to him after a nightmare may not be the most pleasant for Prompto.

Slipping under the covers unnoticed, Prompto easily relaxed into the coolness of the sheets, finally feeling completely at ease again. It didn't take long for sleep to begin tugging at him, but the abrupt vibration of his phone going off on the table next to him startled him out of his stupor. Even Ignis shifted next to him as it disturbed his sleep as well. "Sorry," the blond offered silently, pulling his phone under the covers to check it so the light wouldn't bother the others.

There was a notification from a number he didn't recognize. Opening it, he felt his blood run cold, and he couldn't control the slight tremor in his hand. Biting his own lip, he tried to keep himself from hyperventilating from the panic he felt. His heart felt like it was about to stop as he read the words, 'We know what you are.'


	3. The Hunt Begins

**Ok, so I know that his emotions and moods jump all over the place, and yeah, it's on purpose. C:**

 **Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

He didn't know how long he stared at the screen, but the stinging in his eyes told him it'd been a while. Finally convincing his fingers to move, he clicked 'reply'. Carefully, and with shaking hands, he worked out his own message, 'Who is this?' and clicked 'send'. He waited for a few minutes, never taking his gaze from his phone, afraid he would miss something if he did. The device was gripped firmly in his hands, and after a while there was another message notification.

Prompto only stared at it for some time, hesitating to open it. He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds to calm his nerves. Letting it out, he opened the new message and let his eyes scan over the words. 'You should be asking yourself that.'

'What do you mean?' He answered back, already fully aware what they were talking about. His heart was drumming against his rib cage to the point where it was almost painful. Afraid he would wake the others, he pressed his phone against his chest, and locked himself in the bathroom, leaving the light off, hoping the others wouldn't notice.

He sat on the floor with his back against the bathtub, phone still in hands. "Hurry up," he mouthed to the screen. Another message. He was quick to open it and read it this time. 'Don't feign ignorance, you know precisely what we mean.' He felt light-headed as his breathing picked up. Trying to push down his fear and anxiety, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, taking longer breaths. So focused on calming himself, he jumped at a soft knock.

"Someone in there?" It was Noctis.

He was reluctant to reply, not wanting his panic to show through his voice. "Uhh, yeah." It sounded restrained to him, and he hoped he just sounded tired. "I'll be out in a moment." Pushing himself up, he stepped over to the sink, placing his phone on the edge as he leaned over it. He turned the faucet and splashed a bit of cold water over his face. After a quick dry off, he unlocked the door and walked out, allowing the other to take his turn.

Sliding back into bed, he turned his phone off, hoping it would bring him a bit of ease and placed it back on the side table. Even with it off, he found himself staring over to it, not so much as glancing away when Noctis stumbled back into bed himself. Time completely lost on him, he had no idea when he fell asleep, but he did remember seeing a tint of light in the sky before he was able to drift off.

* * *

The shrill alarm dragged him out of his slumber. Groggily, Noctis rubbed the sleep from his eyes, grumbling under his breath. Forcing his eyes open, he gazed around, noticing Ignis out of the corner of his eye as he turned the alarm off and climbed out of bed. He never understood the man's need to get up so early. Light was barely filtering in through the window; definitely a sign that people shouldn't be up yet. He felt himself slowly drifting off again as he listened to his even footsteps stroll over to the bathroom.

He rolled over to his side, facing away from Gladio who was still dead to the world. He didn't so much as twitch. At the sound of shuffling from the other bed, he pried one eye open, catching Prompto as he grabbed his phone and pulled it under the covers. He was certain he was just asleep. At the moment he was too tired to dwell on that, for now, sleep felt more important than whatever the hell Prompto was up to at this time.

* * *

Having just fallen asleep, Prompto was a bit irritated when Ignis' alarm sounded and woke him after no more than thirty minutes. Then again, he figured losing a bit more sleep couldn't hurt, considering how much he'd been sleeping lately. As he became a bit more awake, something felt wrong in the back of his mind, and he recalled the messages from last night. Unsure if that was a dream or not, he grabbed his phone from the table and quickly pulled it under before Ignis came back.

Pulling the cover over him, he switched his phone on and waited as everything started back up, watching the welcome screen as it transitioned into the home screen. Looking to the top, he saw the 'two new messages'. Dread sunk back in at the realization that it all actually happened. He opened them, knowing that staring at them would only drag out the inevitable. The first one read: 'I would suggest leaving your phone on'. That one hit deep, clutching his heart with an icy grip kind of deep. Quickly, he opened the second one, a picture message, which the thought of what it could be was enough to terrify him.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he looked at it, and immediately turned the back light off and placed it face down next to him. Cautiously, he peered over the edge of the cover, gazing out the window and onto the balcony. Not surprisingly, he saw nothing. Swallowing hard, he picked his phone back up and stared at the photo again. It was clear that it was taken through the window. Taken of them, all of them, asleep. Seeing enough of it, he hit the home button, though it did nothing to clear the image out of his head.

He needed to get out; needed some fresh air to clear this suffocating feeling that settled in his chest. Tossing the covers back, he swiftly got to his feet, the sudden movement giving him a bit of a head rush. He didn't wait for it to pass and headed straight for the balcony door, completely disregarding what the photo had indicated. Whoever that was may have been there before, but they weren't now.

Stepping out, he leaned against the railing as the crisp morning breeze helped to calm his nerves a little. In his hand the phone buzzed. He held onto it momentarily, desperately wanting nothing more than to chuck it as far as he was able, but fought against it and shoved his fear aside. Another message. 'Say a word to anyone, and they're all dead. The girl will be the first to go'. He's never been more thankful for a railing before, since without it he was afraid he wouldn't be on his feet right now.

A tap at the door and he nearly dropped his phone, barely catching it in time before it went over the edge. He jerked his head around, now facing Noctis as he gazed out at the blond. Waving a hand for him to come back inside, he walked back towards the kitchen area where he saw Ignis standing at the stove, he assumed, preparing breakfast. He waved himself, a gesture letting the other know he would be back inside in a moment.

He still needed a couple minutes to breathe and work his tension out. Closing his eyes, he listened to the sounds around him, most of those being a few chirps from birds and the sounds of the city waking up as people began opening up shops.

'Ok,' he told himself. 'Calm down, everything is fine. You are overreacting. It's probably just a prank...a really fucked up prank.' Convincing himself of the possibility, he stuffed his phone in his pocket and went back inside before one of them came after him again. "What's up?" He asked, coming up behind Noctis who was sitting at the little round table.

"Food's ready." Noctis said, stabbing a fork down into his eggs. He glanced down at the table, finding two other plates, one of which was sat in front of Gladio, so he took the other seat, assuming that one was for him. "How'd you sleep?" Noctis asked, with a knowing tone to his words.

"Fine," Prompto lied, catching the look the other gave him, "Woke up a few times, but other than that, not too bad." He altered his answer, seeing as that would be a bit more convincing.

"More nightmares?" Ignis asked as he strode over, pan in hand, and scraped some eggs onto his plate, keeping in mind not to put as much as he normally would.

He looked down to his breakfast, picking up his fork and twirling it between his fingers. "Something like that." He scooped up a bit of eggs onto his fork, "Not as bad as they have been though." He brought the eggs up and took a bite, almost as if on auto-pilot, his mind being in a completely different place.

"That's pleasant to hear," Ignis replied, taking his own seat now. "Tell me, how was the oh so special restaurant Iris took you guy to last night?" He was genuinely curious, wanting to know if it was worth dropping by some time to gather some inspiration.

Prompto took a quick sip of water, "It was meh." He answered with a wink to the adviser. "Oh, wait." He turned to Noctis and winked to him instead. And added towards Ignis, "Ignore that...eye twitch."

"I'm sure it was," he replied flatly. The blond only shrugged, taking another sip of water. "Well, while you guys were out, I picked up word of a bit of trouble."

"A hunt?" Noctis asked, not sounding particularly interested in the prospect. Most of them seemed either too easy for his liking or too tedious. Or both. "What is it this time?"

"Just need to take care of a few goblins not far from here. It's nothing special, but money is money, and we are starting to have a shortage of it." He began running his thumb over the handle of his cup. "It may take us a while to reach the place, so we should be leaving within a few hours if we want to make decent time."

Prompto felt the buzz come from his pocket, "Sounds like a plan to me." He stood up and pushed his plate away, letting the others know he was done, "I'll go ahead and start getting ready." He made a beeline straight to the bathroom and instantly checked the new message. 'Remember, not a word.'

Already getting frustrated with whoever this was, he aggressively replied, 'What the hell do you want?' He sat on the edge of the tub as he waited, listening to the conversation that was going on just outside, but it was too muffled to make out any of what they were saying.

He opened the new message the second it popped up, 'Only for you to recognize yourself as the monster you are.' Running a hand through his hair and standing up, he heatedly chucked the device behind him and into the tub. After the echo from the impact died down, there was utter silence, even the talking going on in the other room was no longer heard. At this point he became aware of what a huge mistake his small fit of rage was.

The immediate regret swiftly took over and he prayed he didn't just break his phone. Afraid that if they threatened to hurt others just for turning it off, then what would they do if he destroyed the thing. He reached down for it and quickly pressed the side button, breathing out thinly as the light came on. Only damage he could make out was a couple cracks trailing across the screen. But, other than that, everything seemed to be in working order.

There was no doubt the others had heard that, and he wished he could just stay in there, or that perhaps they could forget they ever heard anything. Delaying the inevitable, he spent a few minutes fixing up his bedhead, making it somewhat presentable. He rinsed off his face and gave one final sigh at his reflection before slowly turning the handle and stepping out. Ignis seemed to pay the commotion no heed, but the other two cast a couple of glances his way, neither saying anything.

"I-uh, dropped my phone." He spoke up first this time, hoping it would be less suspicious if he explained things before anyone questioned anything.

Noctis rolled his eyes at that, "Must be a heavy phone." He offered a deliberate sideways smile.

Prompto merely laughed nervously, "Yeah." It was clear no one bought that excuse, he kind of hoped that they would just write it off as more of his strange behavior. It wouldn't have been the first time he let things out through anger, so he would be able to pass it off as that. He kept his hand gripped around it at his side, thumb subconsciously running over the longer of the cracks.

"I suggest you get up and start getting ready." Ignis cut his eyes over to the prince. "I don't want to end up staying the night in that cave." It sounded reasonable enough, but to the blond, he could hear the slight admission of the discomfort of the idea.

"Yeah, yeah, don't have an aneurysm. I'm going." He kept his tone light, but got up instantly to start getting himself prepared for departure. Gladio closed his book and set it aside to pick up his own plate as well as Noctis' to wash those up.

"You didn't break it, did you?" he asked, running his hand under the water, waiting for it to heat up.

Prompto held the device in front of him, keeping it low, "Nah, it still works." He flipped it over in his hands, looking at the back of it now. "Don't worry about it, not like I used it a whole lot anyway." He tried to sound casual about it, but he couldn't hide the slight tautness strung through his voice. Stuffing it back in his pocket, he went to sit on the bed and summoned his pistol. While he waited for the others to get ready, he distracted himself with inspecting the weapon, checking it over and making sure everything was in working order; doing everything aside from actually firing it.

"Alright, we heading out or what?" Noctis folded his arms as he leaned against the front door.

"You realize you're the one we were waiting for, right?" Gladio reminded, joining him. "Always the last one ready to go."

"Your point?"

"I'm just saying."

Prompto dismissed his gun, satisfied that everything was right with it. As he stood he was aware of his phone going off again, but he tried to put it out of his mind for now. He didn't think checking on that was a wise idea to do in front of the others, especially now when he struggled to keep his emotions under control. Unsure if the others heard the buzzing or not, he acted as though nothing was going on and walked out behind the others.

"What, you're actually coming out willingly?" Gladio asked, not masking his actual surprise by this.

Prompto shrugged, "I guess getting out a bit really was all I needed, I couldn't stay indoors forever after all." He shrugged. "Besides, it's kind of stuffy in here isn't it?" Patting him on the shoulder, the blond walked passed him and stood a few feet away, "Well, come on, let's get going already."

Noctis and Gladio exchanged a glance, both of them unsure how to react to this sudden change of mood. It seemingly came out of nowhere. "What's up with him? Did something happen last night?" The larger of the two asked.

"Not that I'm aware of." Noctis thought back to the previous night's events, and the only thing that seemed strange that stuck out to him was that man he ran into. But as far as he could tell, nothing happened with him, it was just a run in.

"You sure about that?" He brought his attention back over to Prompto as he paced back and forth, seemingly unable to stand still.

"Well, you got what you wanted, he's not staying shut into a room, so there's that," Noctis tried to stay positive on the matter. The change seemed unnatural to him as well, but what could he do. Just flat out asking probably wouldn't get him anywhere. He thought it best to just roll with it.

He walked back and forth, ready to hurry up and get out of this place, but the more he thought about leaving the more his worry grew. Would they be angry that he left and take it out on Iris, or would they follow them? They were coming back, so maybe they were going to wait around for their return. All the possibilities ran through his mind, and not a single one sounded pleasant to him. Ignis would have known what to do in this situation, but he couldn't ask for his help on this one. He was on his own. The idea of staying behind to deal with this did pop up, but the others most likely wouldn't approve of that, and the mention of being alone did unsettle him.

"Keep that up and you'll run a trench through the floor," Gladio joked as he walked by, the others close behind. "You sure you're good to go?" he asked, despite his better judgement, but he couldn't contain his concern.

Prompto swiftly nodded the moment the question left his lips, "Yeah, I need to get back out there, I'm sure it will help some." He nodded again unnecessarily and fell to the back, keeping an eye on their surroundings as they walked. He knew there was no way he would be able to spot whoever this person was, but it was out of habit.

Just like when leaving the last place, he wasted no time in hopping into the front seat and shutting and locking the door, practically gluing himself in place. He watched as people went by, locking eyes on each one for a moment before deciding they were just average citizens going about their day. 'Come on, you're being ridiculous,' he told himself, flinching slightly as his phone went off again. He still couldn't check it yet, whatever it was would have to wait until he could get alone and away from the others again.


	4. Acceleration

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **And I apologize to both of you, I know beta reading for me must be a nightmare. lol**

* * *

Prompto shifted uncomfortably in his seat, itching to check those new messages, but they were nowhere near their destination, and it would be near impossible to open them unnoticed. More than once, he had to stop himself from reaching for it, the urge to do so driving him crazy. Reaching for the buttons on the radio, he began to flip through them to give his impatient hands something to keep them busy. One station after the other, not a word on any of them were actually heard though. This task was only serving to keep his hands off his phone, but his brain was still locked on the thought of it.

Ignis glanced over occasionally, debating whether or not he should comment on this. Looking through the rear-view mirror, the others didn't seem to care about the matter, or if they did they weren't showing it. The only sign was Gladio's eye twitching occasionally. "Prompto." He finally spoke, the radio settling on a station for more than a couple seconds for once.

"Hmm?" he asked, leaning his head back and turning it far enough for his whole face to be in view.

He licked his lips before replying, "Surely you have something better to do." He tried not to sound too annoyed, but it was starting to grate on his nerves a bit.

The blond looked from Ignis to his fingers which were still hovering over the dial and he stayed set on that for a moment, "Huh, oh right, sorry. I guess I wasn't really paying attention." He slowly extracted his hand, intertwining it with the other and began to fiddle with his thumbs instead; it wasn't as helpful, but it still served its purpose of calming his nerves.

"Something on your mind?" Ignis questioned after a few minutes of this new habit. He kept his eyes forward, but all of his attention was on the younger man.

Prompto frowned at the question and shook his head a couple times, "Not really. Just not used to being out is all." His fiddling continued, more intense now that he knew the others were paying attention to it. He then thought that maybe he should just stop and gaze out the window instead.

The adviser hummed to himself and fell silent for a moment longer. "Alright," he replied after sometime, voice slightly solemn, "But if you change your mind, don't hesitate to speak up." He cut his eyes over and briefly made contact with Prompto's and turned back to the road.

His mind instantly displayed those messages for him again, every letter that was typed out. A stab of guilt penetrated his chest as they replayed. "I won't," he promised, looking back out the window. Throwing another quick look over, he sighed to himself and fought the need to say something. It wasn't worth risking the safety of someone else.

The rest of the ride went on without conversation, each of them focused on something else. And, to Prompto's relief, his phone didn't go off anymore. That didn't help that matter any, but at least they seemed to be leaving him alone for a moment. Unless they were upset that he didn't reply to the last ones and now they were taking some sort of action to retaliate that.

"We don't have too much further to go," Ignis' voice dragged him out of his thoughts once again, which he was quite thankful for.

"So, how many of these things are we dealing with?" he asked, more to keep the other talking than out of his own interest on the subject.

He thought about it for a moment, "It wasn't clear on the exact number, but if I had to guess, I would say the usual. So, probably around six or so, perhaps more. It could be riddled with these foul creatures as far as I know."

"In other words, enough to be annoying and take more than a few hits to get rid of," he half whined in response. "Why do we always get stuck with the boring and tedious hunts?" Sitting back in his seat, his eyes drifted to the road, "Why can't we have an enjoyable one for once, like 'Here, drive my daughter to the beach for the day.' You know, something like that."

An expression of acceptance graced Ignis' face, "There are many things wrong with that statement, but I'll let you figure out what they are."

"Do you really think someone would let four men escort their daughter?" Gladio asked, entertained.

Prompto peeked around the back of the seat, "Hey, you never know. It's possible." He gave the other a smirk, "I mean, it won't happen when a brute like you is around of course."

"You wanna run that by me again?" He leaned up in his seat far enough that the blond ducked back in front of his own. "That's what I thought."

By now, Noctis decided it was time for him to join in, "I dunno, Gladio, if I were a girl I might feel a little intimidated around you." He flinched when a fist suddenly connected with his arm, "See what I mean, so violent."

"Yeah, and that's why you two have the ladies hanging all over you," he retorted, voice dripping with mockery. "It's not my fault I'm just a natural charmer."

"Sure you are." the prince teased, turning his attention to Ignis. "How much further is it? Feels like we've been riding forever."

"Just a few more minutes, and we've only been on the road for about an hour," he deadpanned. "Hopefully there is a haven nearby we can stay for the night. I do expect this to take a while, so I have my doubts that we'll be done in time to return to Lestallum today." To anyone else it sounded like a normal statement, but the others could hear the unease behind the collected exterior.

"I'm sure there's one around somewhere," Gladio assured. "You know as well as I do those things are sprinkled around all over the place. I'd be more surprised if we didn't find one to stay at." There was pure confidence in his voice, believing the information to be one-hundred percent true himself. "Try not to concern yourself too much with it."

'Easy for you to say,' Prompto thought to himself, but stayed quiet on the subject. He could tell Ignis tried to keep it together and act like everything was fine, but there were moments where he could see the events shine through. It wasn't to the degree that he was showing his struggles, but he always seemed to have his guard up now, rarely lowering it. "Yeah, I'm sure things will be fine." He tried to sound positive, though he completely felt the same worry as the other.

Ignis nodded once. "I believe this is it," he announced, pulling over and turning the car off. "I do hope no one forgot their flashlights."

"Got mine." Prompto flicked his on and off a few times. He stepped out and naturally reached for his phone to check the time, freezing once it was in his hand. His fingers tightened subtly around it as he slid it back into his pocket. He didn't even want to see the notifications at the moment. "So, this is it, huh?" He walked over to stand in front of the cave's entrance, gazing into the darkness of it. "Suuuure looks inviting."

"You could have just stayed behind," Gladio proposed, even though they both knew that wasn't true. One way or another, he would have gone with them.

Prompto whistled into the cave, listening to the echo as it bounced around, "Welp, sounds pretty empty to me." He leaned from one side to the other, trying to get different views of the place, but still seeing nothing but blackness where the natural sun ended.

Noctis clapped him on the back as he walked by, causing the other to jump from startlement, "I don't think they're going to be hanging around their front door, waiting to be killed." He turned on his own light and stepped inside, the blond followed closely after.

"I hate these kinds of places." Prompto groaned, "You know, dark cramped places." He ran a hand over the rock, feeling the dampness that coated them. "This place is disgusting." Wiping his hand on his pants, he looked behind him to see the others weren't too far away, just entering into the cave themselves. "So, any idea where in here these things are?"

"Sorry, I don't have the blueprint of this place," Ignis joked in his own way.

"A simple 'no' would have worked fine." He stopped as an idea came to mind, "I'll be right back, I, uh, I left my phone in the car." He threw a thumb back and jogged towards it without a response from the others, "No need to wait, I'll catch up," he called back, hoping they would go on.

When he reached the Regalia, he looked back, ease settling over him when he couldn't see the others anymore, although deep down he was aware of that familiar fear that was always present lately. Without taking his eyes off the cave, he took out his phone and finally looked away long enough to open up his messages. The first one wasn't that bad. 'Someone has quite the temper'. Sure it was pretty terrifying that whoever it was knew he almost broke the thing, but it didn't compare to the next one. His hands began shaking as he read the words. 'Iris is such a pleasant person to talk with. So kind. So innocent.'

He took a few deep and shaky breaths, waiting until his heat wasn't about to explode. For a moment he wasn't sure he was even breathing anymore. This couldn't be real, did they actually come into contact with her, they talked to her? He didn't want to believe any of that was true. Perhaps they were only lying to get under his skin, or he prayed that was the case. He hastily tried to reply, spending more time backspacing than anything as his trembling fingers kept pressing the wrong letters. 'I swear, if you lay a finger on her'. He didn't finish that thought.

For a few seconds he stood there, still trying to get his breathing down to a reasonable pace. It was one thing that she was threatened, but the guy having access to her and knowing exactly where she was, and the fact that he already had an opportunity to do something was too much. He had to put his phone away, had to get it out of sight before he ended up throwing it again. Placing the palms of his hands against the Regalia's black surface, he leaned into, legs wanting to give out on him.

Shoving down all his uncertainties, he stood back straight, willing his legs and hands to stop shaking long enough for him to get his bearings back. He inhaled deeply a few times and turned to head back to the others, knowing that he's been gone long enough, and any longer they might come looking for him. He took his time though, hopefully the slow walk would give him the chance to calm down some more before he got back to them.

He heard the buzzing before he felt it, and he couldn't stop the small and quick exclamation that leaked out. He only closed his eyes momentarily and went on, choosing to wait until later to check it; he wasn't sure he could handle their reply just yet. "Took you long enough," he heard Noctis from just up ahead.

"Yeah, it kinda fell between the seats, had to dig around for it." He took a quick look around now that they were actually in the cave, "Whoa, this place actually doesn't look half bad." He was even surprised by that. He thought he would be a mess coming in here, but somehow it was completely different. It was probably the hue of the place, it had more of a blue one than the brown the other place had.

"Really?" Gladio asked, also a bit shocked by that reaction, "I mean, if you say so."

Prompto shrugged, "It is pretty nice. If you forget the fact that it's infested with little freaks that like to attack everything they come across." The sentence came out in one steam of words with no pauses. "But other than that, yeah, it's nice."

Gladio fixed him with his own look, "Sometimes I just don't understand you." Prompto instantly looked away, which seemed odd to him, but it wasn't that unusual for him.

"Watch your step up here," Ignis called back, "It's a tad on the slippery side. He stepped over a puddle of water, trying to avoid as many of the inconveniences as possible. "I would prefer not to have any accidents if we can help it."

"Don't think you'll have to worry about that," Noctis replied, stepping over the same puddle. He cast a look back to Gladio that told him to keep a close eye on Prompto. He didn't doubt the other's abilities, but it was clear he wasn't at his best, the way he occasionally lost his balance. The larger man gave him one solid nod in response.

"Hey Prom." Gladio got the blond's attention, "Why don't you take a few photo's, I'm sure Iris would like to see some of this place."

He didn't miss the slight change in Prompto's posture, "Y-yeah, you're right, I should do that." Taking out his camera, Gladio noticed the slight tremor in them, it was subtle, but it was visible.

"You cold or something?" he asked, rhetorically.

"It's probably just from the draft." Gladio just hummed in false agreement, despite the fact there was no draft that he could feel. "Ok, so, what kind should I take for her?" He wasn't sure if it was just him, but his voice sounded higher than normal.

"I dunno, just do your thing." Gladio waved a hand, "You're the camera guy, not me."

"Right." He snapped a few quick shots, not really focusing on what he was doing, just doing his best to look natural he supposed. "Maybe I should get one of her brother, I'm sure she'd love that."

"Yeah right, I personally think she'd prefer one of His Highness himself," Gladio teased, with a hint of mimicry in his voice. Noctis glanced in his direction and rolled his eyes. "What, don't feel like posing for a few shots? It'd only take a moment."

Prompto took a quick photo of Gladio anyway, no warning in advance, just a flash as the sound of the shutter made itself known. "Really?"

"And here we have the barbarian in his natural habitat." He flashed him a quick playful smile.

"You won't be smiling when I take that away from you."

"Aw, come on, don't be such a stick in- in the mud." He stuttered as his phone sounded again. "It was just one picture after all, and I mean, like I've said before, the best photos are always those taken off guard," he unintentionally rambled a bit.

"Calm down, it's fine," Gladio reassured. "I was just messing with you."

Prompto nodded, "Yeah, I know." He looked away timidly, "Sorry, don't know what that was about."

"Shh!" came from Ignis in the front; he stopped where he was and held up a hand. They all stopped and listened intently as he turned his own head to try and hear things better. "I think there's something up ahead." He took a few more steps while the others stayed where they were. "I think it might be a few goblins, but it doesn't sound like a whole lot."

"That's good though, right?" Prompto asked, sounding hopeful.

Ignis listened for a few more seconds, "Yes and no. Yes because it means we won't have to take care of a whole lot at once, which is safer for us. And no because that means they are more spread out and we'll have to go further in to take care of them all. Which of course will take us longer and means we'll be stuck in here longer."

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's just take these guys out. Like you said, there aren't many of them." Noctis already had his sword summoned and was ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.

Ignis gave him a disapproving look, "I said it doesn't sound like it, not that there wasn't." He clarified, "There could be more."

"Well, I'm going out there. They're just small fry." He ran past Ignis who in turn let out an exasperated breath and followed suit, calling his daggers.

"Very well, we'll do it your way, I suppose." He remained calm, since Noctis was right for once. They were pretty easily taken care of, but it didn't hurt to show some sort of caution every once in a while; something the prince would have to learn to have more of sooner or later. "Come on, you two, let's go assist him."

They both summoned their own weapons, following closely behind them. The moment they rounded the curve, there was a small scuffle going on, nothing too major. There was only around five of the things and they seemed to be handling them well on their own. Either way, they had no choice but to join in as two broke off from the main group to try and take on their new targets, one going to each of them. Of course, they weren't having any trouble with their own enemies.

The one going after Prompto leaped at him a few times, but each time he easily stepped to the side to avoid being hit. Once he had a clear shot, he raised his gun and aimed it at the creature's chest. Just as he pulled the trigger, there was that dreaded buzzing again. That fraction of a second of distraction was all it took for him to jolt slightly, causing his shot to go wide, missing by a hair. Now the goblin had its opportunity, and it took it. While the man was momentarily stunned, it leaped again.

Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his upper right arm. It wasn't particularly bad, but it was enough to pull him out of his trance and he spun around to face the creature that was now behind him. With quick succession, he fired off three shots into the thing's chest and watched as it dropped to its side, lifeless. He felt the warm substance flow down his arm, but that's not what he was worried about at the moment. What really concerned him was the fact that he now had three unread messages.


	5. Turn of Events

**I promise, withing the next few chapters things are definitely going to pick up.**

 **Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

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"Prompto, are you alright?" He heard Noctis' voice and felt his hand on his shoulder, but for some reason he didn't feel the urge to respond. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Yeah." He blinked a few times. "Yeah, I'm fine." His left hand reached up to cover the laceration, blood easily slipping through his fingers, "It's not that bad." He lifted his hand away to take a look at the wound for himself. It wasn't very long, but it was deep enough to be a nuisance. He hissed at the slight sting as he placed his hand back over it.

Ignis strode over and grabbed a hold of his arm without warning, shining his own light on it to assess the damage. "Hm, It's not severe, bu-"

"See, it's fine." He snatched his arm away, looking from one person to the other, "Can we please just go on now?" Wrapping his arms around himself, he tried to continue forward, but Gladio was quick to stop him, grabbing hold of his good arm. Prompto flinched slightly at the touch, but other than that didn't react.

"Not so fast," Gladio's stern voice held him in place, "We still can't have you bleeding all over the place." Retrieving a potion, he tried to hand it over, but the blond refused it.

"I said it's fine. Besides, you heard Ignis. It's not that big of a deal." He made eye contact for a split second before dropping his gaze to the ground.

Despite what he said, the grip was never released or loosened, "No, you're going to have that taken care of, I don't care what you say. You are barely eating enough to stay on your feet, so if you think you're getting away with losing blood on top of that, you're dead wrong." He finally let his arm go, seeing as he didn't look like he was ready to bolt anymore. Prompto looked to the others for a bit of backup, but neither seemed to be on his side in this.

He sighed in defeat, "I guess I don't have a choice in the matter, huh?" He held out a hand, the one not painted red, and took the offered vial. With another exchanged glance with the larger man he crushed the container easily and winced as he felt the wound begin to mend itself. It wasn't healed completely, but it was no longer bleeding.

"Thank you," Gladio softened his tone a little, just realizing how harsh he was being, but he didn't regret it. It had to be said.

Prompto couldn't help but to feel like he was being treated like a child. There were more dire and more important things to worry about than some superficial scratch. But, of course, they didn't know this. That wasn't the point though. "Ok, can we get going now?" He made a small waving motion with his hand. "We want to finish this before it gets too late after all, right?" He tried to sound reasonable to get them moving faster. Only problem was, now he wasn't sure how to separate from the others long enough, without looking suspicious, so that he could check his messages.

Ignis was the first to move, "I suppose we do need to be moving quicker if we don't wish to stay the night in here." He met the blond's gaze as he stepped by, "If we find nothing else in the next few hours, I suggest we head out and just return tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," Prompto replied, still waving his hands.

Noctis fixed him with a look, "What's gotten into you? You're never this ready to go further into danger." He said this in a playful manner, but underneath he was being subtly serious.

"You know," he anxiously laughed, "Just glad to kinda get back into things." He scratched the back of his head, which marginally ruffled his already messed up hair. "It feels nice, in a weird way." He nodded as he spoke.

Gladio sneered and rolled his eyes at that response, but didn't say anything. The whole thing just sounded fabricated to him. They all knew the kid long enough to know when he was being genuine, and this definitely wasn't one of those moments. Though he felt the need to bring it up, he wasn't sure if he should be the one to do it.

He noticed that Prompto wasn't moving yet, and quickly realized he wasn't going to until he did. It was his intention to take up the back now, which was something else that just stuck out as odd to him, but he did as the other wanted and let him follow last; he wasn't comfortable with that order, but let it be.

Once they were all on their way again, he let his fingers run over his phone, and unable to resist any longer, he took it out. Waiting for a couple more minutes, he slowed his pace a bit so that he could create some distance between them. This was plausibly an awful idea, but he opened the first message. Trying to cram all his emotions down, he scanned over it. 'Or what? Are you going to kill me in cold blood? Like you did to Impius?' He felt a small twinge with the remembrance, though it still wasn't a pleasant thing to think about.

He glanced up to make sure the others weren't looking back, or haven't noticed how far behind he was now. Satisfied, he looked back down and opened the next one. 'Oh wait, you've already tried that once, didn't you? I bet that gave you a rush.' He stopped where he was as that one sank in. "What?" He mouthed to himself.

"Prompto." It was Gladio calling out to him. He instantly shut off the back light and put his phone away, "Try to keep up, would you?"

"S-sorry!" he called back, breaking into a jog until he was once again caught up. "Any signs of anymore of those...things?" He asked, momentarily forgetting what they were called.

"Not yet." Ignis replied, "Then again, we haven't exactly covered much ground from the last bunch, so I wouldn't expect to see more so soon."

"Unless they heard the others dying and are now on their way," Prompto suggested. "You never know." He shrugged, "It's possible. They're social creatures, aren't they?"

"I'm not sure 'social' is the right word." Ignis entertained the other with an answer, "Thought, they are quite territorial and aggressive, which is pretty needless to say now." He slowed down as they rounded another turn, stopping to glance around and take a quick listen before actually rounding it. There was a lot more discretion going into his scrutiny than before, taking everything one step at a time and making sure things were absolutely safe before allowing them to move forward.

They took a few steps and needed a brief moment of time to take it all in. The once narrow passage opened up into a much more open cavernous area. It wasn't exactly massive per se, but it was still pretty impressive. As they walked further in, there were a few different sounds to be heard bouncing off the walls. There was a muffled dripping sound as drops dripped from the ceiling into small puddles, built up over time. The other that stuck out was the slight shuffling coming from above, which they assumed to be bats or some other natural resident of the place.

"Whoa!" Noctis couldn't help but to be amazed by the view. He's seen better, of course, but this was mostly out of unexpectancy. They branched away from each other for a bit to take their own look around, no one wandering off too far though from the fact they still weren't certain if anything else was lingering around. If there was, it was awfully quiet about it.

"Who would have guessed." Prompto couldn't stay quiet about this himself, and like the others would have guessed, he had his camera out. Things may have been on the chaotic side for him, but that didn't mean he couldn't take some amazing photos when the opportunity presented itself. "This is incredible." For the time being he was able to forget about the terror which sat in his pocket.

"You don't suppose this is a dead end, do you?" Gladio asked, looking around, mostly at the walls for any other paths and finding none yet. "I mean, that couldn't have been all of them, that was nothing."

"I am fairly certain there are more," Ignis replied, looking around himself, "Keep an eye out for any openings you see, no matter the size. These things can worm their way into just about anywhere."

Prompto took that as his invitation to break away from the others. For a while he acted as though he were searching for another path long enough to be believable. With a glance around, he ducked behind a boulder, pressing himself against it as he checked the last message. This one had a photo attached to it, and that was alone was enough to set him back into his fear-driven imagination. With a swift flick of his thumb, he opened it. He read the text first before looking to see what the picture was. 'Now now, I do hope you aren't ignoring us. That would be quite unwise of you to do.' He read over it a couple more times, only delaying himself further, afraid of what he might see.

He held his breath and finally scrolled down, nearly dropping his phone. It was only the back but he recognized that short black hair anywhere. He gripped the device hard, fighting the urge to chuck it against the rocky wall. He took a few deep intakes to slow his breathing and told himself to calm down. Freaking out wouldn't do anyone any good, especially not for Iris. With a clearer mind, he replied, 'I'll do anything you want, just leave her out of this. Please, she has nothing to do with this.' He felt his eyes sting slightly as he typed this out.

"I think I found something." He jerked his head around at Noctis' voice breaking through the blood running in his ears. Quickly, he pressed 'send' and rushed over to the others, blinking a few times to clear the thin layer of moisture.

"And you expect me to fit through there?" Gladio folded his arms, staring down at the small opening. "That's like asking Ignis to allow someone else to cook; it's not gonna happen."

"Then I suppose you can stay here while the rest of us take care of things," Ignis offered, already climbing down.

Noctis agreed, "Yeah, this shouldn't take too long if they're actually down there. We'll be right back." He started after Ignis.

Gladio took a seat next to the small entryway, "Alright, I'll be right here when you've finished up."

Prompto shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked timidly, a bit embarrassed for even asking this. "Splitting up, I mean. There could be another way down; if we just look a little more I'm sure we could find something." His eyes took on a look of almost begging.

"Relax, it won't be that long, and I can fend for myself," Gladio reassured him, "If it makes you more comfortable, then you can stay here with me." He was kind of hoping he would agree to that after how the last scuffle went and all. He thought that maybe he wasn't back up to fighting condition just yet.

He actually seemed to be thinking about it, much to the other's surprise. "Yeah, I think that might be slightly better." He took a seat a few feet away, close enough to have some comfort with presence, but far enough to not be awkward. He kept his eyes on the entrance until the lights died down and he could no longer hear their footsteps or voices. The moment the last echo dissipated he began to feel a little uneasy. "They're taking forever," he spoke silently and mostly to himself.

"They just left," Gladio reminded, "It's going to take longer than a couple of minutes, ya know."

He readjusted himself against the rocks, finding it impossible to find any sort of comfort, "Think they'll be alright?" His gaze landed back over to where they were, as if he were expecting to see them come right back. "I mean, I'm sure they will. Of course they will."

"They'll be fine." He wasn't annoyed, but he did see it as needless concern.

Prompto sighed, not exactly many things he could focus on to make him feel any better. He just groaned and let himself slide down until he was lying on his side. If only he could just stay there forever. He didn't realize how tired he was until he remained there for a few seconds. He allowed his eyes to close for a moment, but opened them back up immediately when that last photo popped up behind his eyelids. So he pushed himself back up, deciding that now wasn't the time to drift off. As he sat up, his phone went off again and he inwardly cringed, knowing Gladio had to have heard it.

He was going to ignore it, but remembering what that last message said, he was too afraid to let it be, "I'm going to walk around a bit." He got to his feet, "I'm going to go insane just sitting here." He stretched out his back a bit, getting rid of the stiffness that already seemed to be taking over.

"Ironic," Gladio scoffed, "Few days ago we couldn't get you to move, and now you can't seem to sit still." Which wasn't a lie.

Prompto offered him a small laugh, "Uh, yeah, well..." He didn't finish his thought and just walked off.

"Just don't wander off too far," he warned, not wanting the other to somehow get lost, as ridiculous as that sounded.

The blond raised a hand in a gesture of understanding. "No problem." After walking a good distance away, he reached for his phone again, relieved to at least see it wasn't a photo this time. 'I'm afraid I can't do that. How else am I going to have leverage; to keep you under control'. He looked away to collect himself, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes. Eventually he looked back to read the rest, 'And I don't want you to do anything, no, that's not what I should be saying. I want you to suffer, as I have'.

Prompto went to reply when something stuck out to him as strange. Earlier they were saying 'we', now all of a sudden they were saying 'I'? He wasn't sure if it was just the one person, or if the one texting just decided to make this about the two of them. Regardless, that wasn't what was important. 'I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry I did that, it was an accident. I panicked. Surely you understand.' He thought back to the moment his hands were around that man's neck, and how terrible and sick he still felt about it. 'I didn't go through with it though.'

He shut the light off and replaced it in his pocket and crouched down where he was, slamming the side of his fist against a wall, and ignoring the subtle sting. Standing back up, he ran a hand over his face, trying to will his hands and legs to settle. He was letting this get too him too much, and he knew this is exactly what he wanted, what they wanted, or whatever it was. Maybe they didn't plan on doing anything, and they were just talk. But whatever it was, he didn't want to risk it; it just wasn't worth it.

"Did you get lost?" Gladio called out. He looked in the direction of the older man, realizing that he was no longer in view. Prompto hadn't noticed he walked that far away. Now that he was aware, he felt that familiar sensation settle in the bottom of his chest.

"I-I'm coming," he called back, listening to his own voice echo off the walls. He took his time getting back, not wanting to sit there while he waited, doing that only increases his worry and restlessness. "Any sign of them yet?" he asked the moment they could communicate normally.

Gladio breathed out a tad irritably, "No, it still hasn't been long enough." He looked up to meet the other's gaze and softened his tone seeing the concern that lied there, "I understand you're worried about them and all, but give them some more credit, there's no way anything is going to happen. And if by some chance, something did, they would give us a call."

"You mean if they have signal down there," Prompto deadpanned.

"Well, you just got a message, didn't you? They aren't that much further, so maybe they still have some as well." Though they were further down, so that was highly unlikely, but he wasn't going to bring that up.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," he tried to convince himself. "I'm being irrational again, I know." He leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling, "I need to learn to be better about tha-" He quieted when he thought he saw movement. "Um, Gladdy? Please tell me you're seeing this too." He stepped back, despite the fact that it wasn't going to do any good.

"What is it?" he asked, looking up from where he sat. "Dammit, you have to be kidding me!" he added, standing up himself and going to stand next to Prompto before summoning his sword.

The blond summoned his own weapon now, "So, want me to give them a call?" he said only half humorously as he gazed up at multiple sets of eyes staring back. His light reflected off them, shining back as a yellowish hue.

"If you think you can get a hold of them, then give it a try." His doubt was shining through brightly. The other nodded and dialed Ignis' number, and immediately came up with nothing. "Thought as much," came Gladio's reply at the lack of an answer. "Guess we'll just have to hold them off the best we can until they return."

"I guess so. And I guess you were right about them being alright," he attempted to make a short and tasteless joke. He counted the sets of eyes and quickly lost count, but he had to guess there were at least ten up there. "Ok, not that many, we can do this."

"That's the spirit." The shield prepared himself for a fight, "Hope you're ready." At that the first few began to drop down, baring their teeth as they readied themselves to go all out.


	6. Dire Mistake

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

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A shot rang out, followed by a small and gangly body falling to the ground at Prompto's feet. The sound still left a bad taste behind, but he could handle it well enough now. Keeping his eyes up, he tapped the limp body with his toe, making sure it was dead dead and not semi-dead. With the assurance of its demise, he aimed his gun at one that landed a few feet away from him. Without hesitation, he shot again, only this time it didn't die on the first hit and kept trying to saunter over to him. "Die already!" he ground out with another pull of the trigger.

"Hey, how busy are you over there?" Prompto turned to face Gladio to see a few on either side of him, slowly closing in around. He looked around himself first, seeing that he was about in the same type of scenario, granted he had a couple less than the other man.

"Um, give me a moment, I'm a bit preoccupied," he called back, firing another bullet and ending the goblin. He looked back over, relieved that Gladio had taken down two of his own. Though, he still had quite a few surrounding him. "Still holding up alright over there?"

He heard the man grunt as he swung his sword out in a horizontal arch, getting the creatures to back off a bit for the time being, "Well, I'm still alive, so that's a plus." There was the distinct squelching noise as his blade sliced clean through one.

The blond scrunched up his nose at the metallic scent that now filled the air, "From the sound of it, you're doing pretty alright over there." He swiftly took a few hops to the side when he noticed one getting a bit too close for his comfort. "I know I've probably asked this too many times already, but do you think the others are close to getting back yet?"

"That tunnel can't go on forever," Gladio assumed, dodging another failed attempt at slicing him open. He risked a quick glance upwards, "Dammit, there's still quite a few hanging out up there!" His attention was brought back to the others that were slowly drifting closer, jumping around as they did so. The movements were slightly on the annoying side, and he hated to admit it, but with so many it was disorienting to some level.

Noticing the larger man struggling a bit, due to the sheer numbers he was dealing with. He knew Gladio could handle it just fine if there weren't so many of the nuisances. Running off to the side, creating some distance between him and his own problems, he pointed his gun at one of Gladio's. Holding up, he could already feel how heavy the weapon felt in his hands. Has it always weighed that much? Tossing that thought aside, he held it more steadily and trained it straight on one that was stalking up somewhere from behind.

The shield spun in his heel when he heard the cry from the thing, turning just in time to see it tilt to the side and fall to the ground. He shot a look over to Prompto, "Thanks." He kept his appreciation short and to the point, wanting to avoid any slip-ups from being distracted for too long. He got a curt nod in response, and switched his focus back to the living wall that was in front of him.

"Yup, no problemo." He flashed a quick smile before sidestepping away from his enemies once more. "C'mon, don't you guys have anything better to do?" he overdramatically whined, firing a few unaimed shots in their general direction. At least one of them hit, that is if the whimper had any relation to it. Quickly ducking behind a boulder, he pressed himself against it as the three chasing him ran by, leaving him relatively unnoticed for a short time. He used those few moments of peace to catch his breath and stretch some of the stiffness out of his shoulders and arms.

"Get yourself together," he told himself, switching his gun from one hand to the other to give the right one a short break. They were slightly shaking now from the exertion, something that shouldn't be happening as far as he could tell. He didn't have much more time to dwell on it as the sounds of Gladio continuously fighting brought him back to their current situation. Pushing himself away from the stone, he turned himself to face the ongoing battle, Gladio still holding them off the best he was able. With his own life no longer in immediate danger, he could put all of his focus into assisting the other, or until he was noticed again.

He was a little panicked when he lost sight of the blond, his mind automatically going to the worst case scenarios; one minute he was right there, and the next he was nowhere to be seen. On the verge of calling out for him, he stumbled ungracefully at the sting he felt on his back. Out of instinct, he twirled on the spot, swinging his greatsword full force and nearly cleaving his assailant in two in the process. He was about to turn back around when that all too recognizable sound reached his ears. Which meant Prompto was alright, or alright enough, which did help him to relax a tad amount.

Prompto gave him a quick wink when he looked in his direction. Gladio bowed his head in thanks, tearing his attention away to take care of the couple that were still going after him. The gunslinger went to shoot at them some more, but could see more movement from above out of the corner of his eye. "Son of a bitch," he muttered in pure annoyance, having almost forgotten that there were still more clinging to the ceiling, just waiting for their chance to catch them off guard. "No, ya don't," he said a bit cheerfully, firing at one of them and managing to nick it just enough to cause its downfall.

It hit the ground with a soft thud, accompanied by a few cracks as a few of its bones snapped with the impact. He cringed at the sound as it echoed around him, the sound honestly putting him off. The scurrying of the last remaining few drew him in and he stared up at them, listening to the other man's footfalls as he came in closer. "It's about time you finished them off," Prompto joked, keeping his gaze up.

"Would have been faster if someone didn't hide half the fight," he retorted, obviously lightly. "But, we still have a few more problems to deal with."

Prompto nodded, "Yeah." He turned his head towards the other and had to do a double take, "Gladio, you're bleeding. Your back." He stepped back to get a better view, and could see the decent sized cut, steadily steaming crimson.

"Don't worry about it, we can deal with it later. For now, why don't you try shooting them down? There's not much I can do with them way up there." Gladio carefully grabbed him by his left arm, and pulled him back next to him. "Just enough to knock them down."

"Sure, I can do that," he agreed, giving the man what he wanted and momentarily forgetting about his wound. Taking a deep breath, he used both hands to grip his gun and held it as steady as he was able. Aiming at the closest one, he just made sure it was trained in its general vicinity. Even if he missed, it should startle it enough to come down willingly. Trusting his own skill, he let a bullet fly, breathing out when he heard the cry of pain. Apparently he actually hit it, not in a fatal spot, but still, it was a hit.

Gladio tightened his hand around his hilt, "Here he comes." With its anger flaring, it dropped down, landing a bit less gracefully than it would have otherwise. "Keep shooting them down, don't stop until they're all down here."

"Got it." There was no delay as he fired one shot after another now, not taking nearly as much time to precisely aim anymore; his arms were burning too much to take that much care now. He continued this process until there were no more shining orbs as far as he could see. "See any more?" he asked, hearing Gladio stab through another.

He ripped his sword out, splattering blood on the ground and did a quick scan over the roof of the cave, "Not that I can see, but don't let your guard down just yet." In his peripherals, he noticed the other place a hand against a nearby boulder, leaning heavily against it as he dismissed his weapon. A buzz from his pocket made him jolt slightly. "You good?" His voice suddenly took on a worried edge.

Prompto swiftly nodded, "Yeah, I'm good." He felt slightly dizzy from all the running around, but he wasn't going to comment on that, "Just need to catch my breath. How's your back?" He changed the subject, getting the attention off himself.

"I don't think it's too bad, I can't see it, but it's not really bothering me." He twisted, trying to take a look at it, but ended up hissing when it pulled at it.

Prompto gave him a sideways smirk, "Why don't you take a potion for it?" He hinted more than asked. When he saw the other about to protest, he quickly cut him off, "You made me use one, so it's only fair. If you don't, you know Ignis will make you when they get back." His smirk widened into a sly smile now.

Gladio rolled his eyes and retrieved another green vial, "Have it your way." He gave it a squeeze and winced as it did its job. "Happy?"

"Yes, yes I am." Once he felt steady enough, he straightened himself up, turning his head slightly as a new sound reached him. He brought his gaze over to the tunnel the other two had disappeared into, and vaguely, he could make out a faint light. "Guess they finally decided to come back, huh?"

"What the hell happened here?" Noctis asked, shining his light over the floor, riddled with corpses and blood.

Prompto strolled over, tapping one with his foot, "Well, we found the infestation, I think. Or I hope." He folded his arms and leaned to the side to look around the prince, "So, found anything interesting down there?"

"Only if you consider dead ends to be interesting," Ignis replied, coming through the entrance and scanning over the massacre. He felt a bit of tension drain from him. After coming across the end of their path, he couldn't help but to be marginally concerned. "I see you two handled things quite proficiently...if not a bit barbarically." He lifted his foot to look at the red smudge that lied underneath.

Gladio rolled his shoulders, "As long as it got done, right?"

"I suppose I can't complain." He pushed his glasses up and scanned over the place once more for good measure. "Are you certain that's all of them?"

"Nope," Prompto plainly answered. "I mean, we think so, but how can one ever be sure with these places." He waved a hand to accentuate his point. "I say we high tail it out before we get more unpleasant surprises." He didn't wait for the others to begin his walk back. As soon as he rounded the corner he took out his phone ad read his new message. Knowing that he could no longer be careful about things, and that one slip-up could alert the others, he took it one sentence at a time. After each one, he would compose himself and move on to the next. 'I'm willing to forgive what happened in those mines.' Seeing that as a start, he continued reading, 'But, I'm afraid I can't forgive you for what you are'. He felt an icy spike pierce his heart.

"You have been glued to that thing." Noctis' voice caused him to nearly drop it. When did he sneak up behind him? He frantically held it against his chest, hiding the screen from his friend, "What, some girl we don't know about?" he joked tapping him with his elbow.

"Haha, very funny." He sped up a bit to get back ahead of them. He pried his phone far enough away to read the next sentence, 'You know as well as I do, you aren't normal.' He knew that to be true, but it still hurt deeply to hear that from someone else, no matter who that someone was. Taking a deep breath, he read the rest, not pausing for the rest of the message, 'Technically, you shouldn't exist as you are. None of your kind should, and rightfully so. The only thing your kind knows how to do is kill; it's the only thing I've seen you guys do without fail. My point is, it does not matter that you let me live, because how many have you killed before me?'

Prompto replied quickly, not taking the time to check things over in his haste, 'I only kill those that deserve it, or that threaten the ones I care about. Lay a finger on her, and I promise you...' He hoped that sounded intimidating enough, but if he didn't and he only angered him with the threat, then what? So many questions and thoughts flew by, but he couldn't figure out what the right answer was. Maybe there was no correct answer. As the Regalia came into view, and he could hear the others getting closer, he pressed send. He didn't have the time he wished he had to try and play things safe at the moment.

"Now to find that haven," Ignis looked to the sky, half blocking his eyes as the sun hit his eyes like a truck, "I believe we have an hour of daylight left, so that should be plenty of time to locate a suitable place." He strode of to the car and climbed in, the others following suit soon after. Noctis immediately made himself comfortable, leaning back and against the door.

"I'm sure we'll come across one if you just keep going forward," Gladio said, pulling out his book and opening it to where he last left off.

Prompto leaned into his own seat, the fatigue lingering in his muscles even though he was no longer really doing anything. He felt exhausted, but he highly doubted he'd be able to sleep; not with his mind running a thousand miles a minute. Staring out the window, his mind kept drifting to Iris ad whether or not she was safe right now, and just desperately hoped she was being careful. He glanced at the mirror and stared at the reflection of Gladio for some time, wondering if he should at least tell him something. It was his sister after all and he deserved to know that she was being threatened. But, if they found out he said something, she really would be put at risk. He let his head fall against the side of the door in defeat, wishing the wind could blow him away and he could be rid of this predicament.

"And there we are," Ignis' voice dragged the attention of them all. "Right up ahead." He clarified, and they looked off somewhere, seeing the tendrils as they flowed upward, and the light markings that were a tad harder to make out in the sunlight.

"Finally, I'm ready to pass out," Noctis yawned out, stretching and pushing on the back of Ignis' seat with the effort of it. The latter sighed annoyedly, but said nothing. Instead, he sped up slightly until they were within walking distance and pulled off to the side of the road. "Let's get everything set up. Gladio, get the tent up, and I'm sure the two of you can handle starting a fire, I hope."

"Yeah yeah, piece of cake." Noctis lazily climbed out, taking this chance to stretch further. He and Prompto got the needed tools for the job and made their way over to the grounds, getting to work instantly.

This entire time, he never once got a new message, and he wasn't sure if he should have been relieved about that or not. He couldn't help but think that perhaps he did get one and just missed it. Maybe he got one a while back and didn't even notice it. This guy already made it clear he wasn't going to tolerate delayed responses, so if that was the case..."Prompto." The name was almost yelled out, a clear sign Noctis had already tried to get his attention more than once.

"Huh?" He snapped his head to the other, "Did you say something?" He looked down to his outstretched hand, and then down to his own. "Oh, here." He handed over the matches he had clutched in his hand. Looking down at his palm, there were little imprints from the box. "I'm going to see if Gladio needs help." He quickly got up and walked over to the half-built tent, which effectively hid the other man. Before asking, he checked his phone. No messages.

"Hey, Gladdy, you need any help over here?" Even he could hear the lack of enthusiasm in his words. "I mean, Noctis has that taken care of." He looked over his shoulder as another spark flashed, "Well, kind of."

"If you really want to. Here, hold this in place for me." Prompto crouched down next to him and placed both hands around one of the pikes as Gladio hammered it into the ground. He flinched with every hit, the dinging sound it made bringing on an edge of uneasiness. These small movements stuck out like a sore thumb to the other. "Did you manage to get any nice shots down there?" He asked, trying to break up the silence.

Prompto shrugged with one shoulder, "Eh, I think I might have gotten a few that were alright, nothing too special this time though."

They carried on with idle conversation, moving over to the fire once everything was taken care of. About another hour passed, and he still got no notifications and was really starting to feel a sense of dread set in. Once Noctis joined in, he found himself more in the background of the conversation as he slowly fell out of it altogether and receded back into his own thoughts. The only thing that pulled him back out was Ignis handing something to him, and it took him longer than it should have to realize it was a plate. He gazed down at it, appetite completely absent. It was some kind of meat on a bone, but he couldn't discern exactly what it was.

"Prom," Ignis snapped to get his attention. "Please." That was all he needed to say for him to understand what he was asking.

He picked it up by the bone and flipped it over, looking it over for a few seconds before lying it back down, "I-I'm not really that hungry." Both hands were gripping the sides of the plate as his eyes were cast to the ground, "I think I'm just going to head to bed." He went to stand up, but stopped when he was aware of a presence approaching him.

"Sorry, can't let ya do that." He gazed up at Gladio towering over him, arms crossed. "I've been patient enough about this, but not anymore. I'm not letting you get up until half of that is gone."

Prompto bit his lip, fighting against the urge to say something back, or to just push past him. Though, he doubted the second option would be possible. His fingers tightened around the dish. "Fine!" he nearly spat out. He wasn't in the mood for arguing, or even putting up with any of their lectures. Taking his first bite out of it, he already felt like he had enough, but he set aside his distaste and forced himself to take a few more.

"Thank you." Gladio went to go and sit back down in his own seat and picked his plate back up.

"Now, I'm going to bed." The blond set his aside and sauntered to the tent, lying down on the far side of it, as far as he could get. For a while he stared up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts once again. He wasn't sure how long he was out, but when he awoke next, it wasn't a pleasant awakening call. His concerning and restless slumber was rudely disrupted by the buzz that finally sounded. Unable to prepare for the alert, he shot upright, breathing heavily. Gazing around, he saw the other three lying to the right of him, all of them asleep.

Taking a few deep and easy breaths, he pulled his phone out and used one hand to block the light from reaching the others. It was another photo. The moment he saw what the image held, he felt sick and instantly had to shut it off. He felt his whole body start to shake, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get it under control this time. Before the others heard anything, he crawled around them quickly, aware that he was probably crawling over limbs in the process. Passing through the threshold of the tent, the cool air passed over him, but it did little to alleviate the disgust he felt. With a few more steps away, he fell to his hands and knees, gagging as he fought the need to throw up. He only saw it for an instant, but he was fairly certain those were Iris' clothes...drenched in blood.


	7. Emotionally Lost

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **The chapter after this one and maybe the one after may be a bit darker.**

* * *

His fingers dug into the earth as his body shook and mind raced. Lifting one hand, he placed it over his mouth, feeling the need to throw up come back to him, the smell of soil taking over as he was near gasping for air. She couldn't really be dead, could she? He couldn't believe someone actually doing that to her. The hand still on the ground tightened into a fist, scraping up dirt with it. He swallowed hard, trying to calm down, but was making no leeway with the attempt. His breaths were coming out in harsh trembling pants, but he couldn't hear them through ringing in his ears. "No, no, no…" he whispered to himself, repeating it as he slowly shook his head. He refused to believe that was real.

Taking his hand away from his face, he balled it up and slammed it down onto the ground. Then again. And a third time. His hand stung and begged him to stop, but he didn't care, he kept beating it against the ground. "What are you doing out here, Prompto?" he froze at Ignis' voice. How was he supposed to answer that; he couldn't. Not the truth anyway, not now and not this way. There were a few more footsteps as the man moved closer, "Need to talk about something?"

Ignis looked down and noticed the tremors racking his body. He saw the subtle shake of his head and kept watching as he slowly turned it to face him. There were no words spoken as he took in the appearance of him, the look said it all. He was broken, there was no other word for it. He took a step closer, "Prom-"

"Stay away, please, just don't." His voice cracked as it barely came out above a whisper. He sounded just like he did then, desperate and hollow. Thinking back to their time in that hell, he really sounded no different. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Ignis walked closer anyway, ignoring Prompto's request. "Talk to me." Carefully, he reached out a hand and placed it gently onto his back, relieved when he didn't flinch away this time.

Though, after a moment, he did pull away, swiftly smacking Ignis' hand away as he stood up, "I need to go for a walk." His voice took on a much more steady and serious tone as began to step away.

"Wait." Ignis grabbed his wrist, firm enough where he couldn't pull away this time, "No, you're not; it's in the middle of the night."

"I'll be fine." He yanked once, but he couldn't budge.

The adviser only tightened his grip, "I said you're not, it's not safe out there at this time, and I'm not letting you wander off when you clearly aren't in the right mindset. I'm not allowing you to wander off out there and get yourself either injured or killed."

"And why not?!" he snapped as he jerked his head around to face him. "Why not?" Ignis could feel the shaking from under his hand. Looking up to meet his gaze, he found them glossed over, yet nothing spilled over, "You know as well as I do that I'm nothing but a freak of nature."

They fell silent for a time, at a stalemate as neither of them knew what to say or do now. Eventually Ignis loosened his grip, "Very well, go ahead. But I'm coming with you." He used that authoritative voice of his, the one that refused to accept anything else.

"Fine." He personally wanted to be alone, but the other was making that impossible for him. He knew he was only doing so out of care and concern, but now really wasn't the time for it. Taking the first few steps, he glanced back at the tent, making sure the others were still asleep. "Don't say anything to them," he half mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself, "I don't want them asking questions or anything." Or he didn't want Gladio asking anything, he couldn't keep this stuff from him forever.

"You know I won't say a word," Ignis agreed, following behind Prompto, letting him have his space as they walked. Every now and then he would see a shudder run through the other, or the occasional shaky breath could be heard. And he wasn't certain, but he thought the other was sniffling. "You are sure you don't wish to talk about anything?" he asked, trying to get him to at least say what was bothering him so much.

Prompto's step faltered for a moment, but he was quick to balance himself. Shaking his head, he whispered out, "It's nothing." He picked up his pace a small amount, feeling his heart start to pick up speed again. "Don't worry about it, it's just one of my 'moments'." He emphasized that last word, letting Ignis know he was aware how they talked about it behind his back. "I'm heading back." Without warning, he switched directions, heading back in the direction of their camp.

"Quite a short walk," Ignis commented, mostly to himself.

"Yeah, well." That was as much as an answer he was willing to give. He really wasn't trying to be standoffish or inconsiderate, but he was getting irritated and wanted Ignis to just go away and leave him be. He reached the fire and sat himself next to it, staring straight into it and watched the flames dance around. Each flick from it only showed him that image over and over again. "You should go back to sleep, I'll be out here a while." His voice sounded strained and small, almost as if speaking were a struggle for him.

Ignis sighed and ran a hand over his face, he wasn't going to be able to get anywhere with Prompto, not when he was like this at least. "I'll give you what you want, but promise me you won't go wandering off." He set him with a gaze, fixing himself to the spot until he got a response. All he was rewarded with was a small wave, the other not so much as turning to face him. He let his gaze fall to the ground and reluctantly climbed back into the tent. For a while he lied there, wondering what could be bothering the blond now.

Prompto barely heard Ignis' steps as they left, he could have still be standing there as far as he knew. Keeping his eyes on the fire, he realized he had left his phone in the tent and he felt panic rise once again. What if it went off and Ignis checked it, or worse, Gladio. Jumping up and nearly falling over himself, crawled back over the other three, practically snatching his phone up and swiftly exited once more. Ignis only watched this, but stayed quiet.

He clutched his phone in his hands as he placed himself back next to the fire. Unaware of how long he stayed like that, he finally turned on the back light, and felt everything seize up when the image filled the screen again and he was reminded that he had never exited out of it. Biting his lip, he exed it out, turning his head to the side and looking down right as he pressed it. He breathed deeply, the phone slipping from his hands as the buzz caught him off guard. It disturbed the dirt as it connected to the earth.

"Please, just go away," he muttered, burying his face in his arms. What could he possibly want now, what more could he possibly do? Kill him? That honestly sounded pretty ideal to him now. He let those thoughts register for a moment, and just like that, he felt like a complete fool. If he did... kill her, then what leverage would he have? Picking his phone back up, he held it for a minute, still wary about looking at the picture again, but he had to in order see if what he thought was true. Inhaling deeply for what seemed like the hundredth time, he held it there as he opened the picture back up, wincing slightly as he gazed upon it. And then he saw it, and he couldn't help but wonder why he didn't realize this earlier. Those were definitely her clothes, but there was no body. A few emotions ran through him at once, the most prominent of those being relief, rage being a close second. But there was a small part of him that still wasn't sure.

Prompto looked back at the tent, Gladio's phone was lying above his head. He placed his own phone on the ground for the time being, and as quietly and carefully as he could, he stalked over to it, grabbing it and slinking back out, not once disturbing the others. Or he didn't as far as he was concerned. He unlocked it and went straight to contacts, scrolling through until he found Iris' number. Using his own phone, he dialed it, doing so to keep her from knowing who it was. For a while it only rang, each one causing his hope to sink further and further into the abyss of helplessness. "Come on," he ground out between clenched teeth. On the fifth ring there was an answer, but it was another second or two before he heard a voice.

"Hello?" It was croaky, definitely someone who had just been woken up from sleep, but it was her. He was one-hundred percent sure it was her. He felt himself at a loss for words, the comfort the sound of her voice brought was nearly overwhelming and his body was overtaken by that previous heavy feeling. "Hello, are you there?" He had almost forgotten this was a live call, and had a moment of alarm as he swiftly hung up. His pulse was thrumming in his chest, but he didn't complain about it.

He finally breathed out, "Fine...she's fine." Relaxation only lasted for a split second before he remembered there was another message he had to check. He inwardly groaned, after that last scare he had, he wasn't sure he could handle another one at the moment. Surely this guy had to sleep at some point; he couldn't keep this up forever. Running a hand through his hair, keeping his hand there for a moment, he went back to his home screen and gazed at the notification; the look of it was enough to disgust him.

Delaying no further, he opened it and read over the words, only half interested now. 'I do hope I won't be receiving any more of those frivolous threats from you. Now, I expect an apology for your earlier brash behavior'. He read the words, but he felt nothing, as if he just no longer cared what was said.

Prompto hated giving this bastard what he wanted, but he felt as though he had no other choice in the matter. Sure, that previous image was a bluff, but who's to say the next one won't be. Slowly, hating this more with each letter he pressed, he typed out his response, 'I'm sorry, please just leave everyone else out of this.' He clicked it off and dropped it next to him before falling back and staring up at the sky. It seemed odd now, the lack of emotion that had taken over.

After what seemed like a few hours, he remembered he still had Gladio's phone lying next to him. Wouldn't want him to wake up and realize it was missing, then he would have to make up some other excuse. He rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up, scooping up the device as he did. As carefully as he did before, he crawled in just far enough to replace his phone, scanning over the others. His eyes instantly connected with Ignis'. A second of awkwardness hung in the air, but eventually he backed out of the tent, keeping his eyes on the other. He didn't expect him to have still been awake, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it, knowing he was the reason for it.

He strolled over to his phone and picked it up, taking a few more minutes to himself to make sure he was stable enough before he returned to the tent. He didn't particularly want to, but hoped if he did, maybe Ignis would finally go back to sleep. Fairly certain he wouldn't be able to, there was no reason why anyone else should stay up as well; it didn't seem right to him.

He lied there until he could hear the light snores from the older man, but by the time he had heard those, he could see the sun start to filter through the material. Not only did he not get much sleep that night, but he also deprived someone else of theirs. Rolling over to his side, he put his back to the others and let his eyes fall to his phone. Every second he expected to get another message, but no other came. He felt his eyelids pull, but they never got far before they snapped back open due to a rustle or snore coming from one of the others.

He was both thankful and resentful at the sound of Ignis' alarm going off. On one hand it meant he didn't have to be left alone to his thoughts, but on the other, he had to put up this front for the rest of them again. He waited until the rest of them stirred awake and were getting ready before he decided it was a good idea for him to move. Sitting up, he sat there for a moment, glancing out at the others as they were already getting things ready, he retrieved his phone and eventually made his way out.

All it took was one glance, and Noctis could tell how little sleep he got; he looked just plain terrible. "Good morning to you," he commented, turning back to his own task of making sure there were no embers left glowing.

"Morning." He offered a small wave. Using both hands, he rubbed his eyes while sauntering further out until he was standing towards the center of the camp. Taking one thumb, he began massaging small circles on his temple, trying to chase away the beginnings of a headache. His eyes soon caught sight of Gladio and he instantly had to look away, disgrace gripping at him once more.

"How about a bit of help over here?" He looked back up to realize Gladio was talking to him.

"Oh." He perked up immediately, "You're talking to me."

"Well, yeah, the others are busy." He glanced from Noctis to Ignis, "So, that would make you the only other option."

Prompto looked around as well, "Right, I knew that." He slowly made his way over, following the man back to the tent and helped him disassemble it, packing it up once it was down. The exertion left him slightly winded, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with, "Anything else?"

Gladio shook his head, "Nah, I think that's about it. If they're done, we can go." Noctis had their chairs packed up, and Ignis was just finishing up with his own things. Prompto tilted his head to the side, trying to work out a slight kink he didn't notice until after helping out. Now that he thought about it, everything felt rather stiff. But, that wasn't surprising considering yesterday was the most he moved in days.

"We're ready to head back, that is, unless anyone has any objections." Ignis tossed a bag over his shoulder, waiting for a response.

"Ready as I'll ever be," came Noctis' reply as he lifted his own luggage. Prompto looked around, but it seemed as though everyone else already had everything picked up. It didn't take long to notice Gladio was carrying a bit more than he usually did.

On mutual agreement they were on their way back to the Regalia, reaching it in no time and on their way back to Lestallum. They were each preoccupied with their own thing as they rode, Ignis frequently tossing a look in Prompto's direction. He couldn't help but notice this new fixation he had on his phone; it seemed as though he barely put it down. Obviously, he found this to be more than concerning. He wanted to ask him about this, but with the others in the back and so close, he knew better than to do it here. There was no way he would answer honestly here.

He heard the phone go off while he had it in his hands and saw the small jump that came along with it. Ignis watched on as he wasted no time in opening it and reading over it, then taking a moment before replying. In that moment before, he could see the gears turning in his head; he was taking care in the response. With that, he couldn't help but wonder who he was talking to. The possibilities ran through his head, but all of the ones that came to mind didn't seem likely, and the ones that did shouldn't have procured such a reaction.

As soon as his phone went off, he was ready with it, opening the message up with zero hesitation. 'Someone learns quickly, then again, that's not surprising with someone of your caliber. Now please do tell, those friends of yours – I assume they don't know what you are, surely they would want nothing to do with you if they were to know the truth. How would they react upon finding out? Do you honestly believe they would still accept you with that knowledge?'

He had to think about that, and he really didn't know if they would. Ignis already knew something about it, but he hasn't said much on the subject, so it was hard to say if he was alright with it or not. It might have damaged some of the trust he had, but was there anything beyond that? If Noctis knew...well, he might not be too keen about it. It was his 'kind' that ruined his home and family after all. Technically, he was the enemy. And Gladio, being the protector and guard of the prince, there was most likely not chance he would allow him to remain close to them. He would be too much of a risk to keep around.

Prompto knew it all to be true, but he still didn't want to admit it to himself, he still wanted to believe that they would have accepted him not matter what. 'No, they know nothing.' He didn't know what else to say about that, there wasn't much more he could say. He sent the message and lowered his phone, noticing Ignis' eyes flick in his direction. He met that glance for a second, then broke away to gaze out the window, letting himself lean against the door as he watched the landscape fly by.


	8. Rid of It

**Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Ok, well this is where things take that darker turn, and hopefully I did this right, and I apologize if not. o3o**

* * *

Eventually they made it back to Lestallum, all of them more than happy to arrive and start carrying what they needed back to their hotel. Ignis was the last inside, dropping all of his things on the small table. He looked over to the bed, where Prompto was already hiding under the cover, most likely still on his phone for who knows what reason. His attention was forced over to the others as their light banter began to pick up, gradually getting louder as they sat on the other bed. For a moment, he drowned all that out, thinking about what was troubling the blond. He had to talk to him. "Gladio, Noct," he called them over quietly.

"What is it, Specs?" Noctis asked, gradually walking over next to him.

Ignis waited until they were both close enough. "Why don't you go to collect out reward for taking care of that problem?" He cleared his throat, "I would go myself, but I plan on preparing lunch. None of us had breakfast, so I should really get started." He cut his eyes over to Prompto, and they immediately understood what he meant.

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Gladio nodded and offered a soft smile, "Need us to pick anything up while we're out?" He glanced over at the gunslinger himself, noticing how he was already falling back into his reclusive habits. The keeping to himself, and the silence he retained, it was as if nothing had changed. Letting out a sigh, he placed a firm hand on the other's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before allowing it to slide away as he stepped towards the door, Noctis close behind.

He waited until he heard the door click, then began pulling things out to prepare, tossing a glance over in Prompto's direction every now and then, checking to see if he was still there. Not that he was exactly expecting him to go anywhere. Lying his ingredients onto the counter, he took out the utensils he would need, a few spoons and a couple knives for the time being. "Prompto," he called once he had everything lied out. He didn't get a reply, but he knew the other had to have heard him, "Mind lending a hand?"

For a few moments there was nothing, but soon he could hear movement as Prompto soon dragged his feet over, stopping between the kitchen area and the rest of the room, "Yeah?" he asked, sounding uninterested. He had his left arm wrapped around himself as it clutched at the other. His eyes had a slight redness about them.

"Well, you can't help from there, can you?" Ignis waved a hand, inviting him to come closer. "I just need you to rinse some things off while I chop some lettuce." He kept his attention down, but could see him come closer out of the corner of his eye. "Just wash those potatoes, if you will." He pointed to a few already sitting inside the sink.

He nodded slowly and turned on the water, letting it run over his hands for some time, almost forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. Quickly remembering, he grabbed one of the potatoes and stuck it under the water, rubbing his hands over it. He flicked his eyes over to Ignis, who was focused on his own task of chopping. Gradually the sound dragged his gaze downward to his hands as they worked, and soon they were trailing down the length of the blade as it easily sliced through the leaves.

"Prompto." His eyes flew up to meet Ignis' gaze. He was staring intently at him. Had he been trying to get his attention?

"Hmm?" he asked, feeling a little out of it.

"I think that one is clean enough."

He nodded towards Prompto's hands. He looked down and remembered what he was doing. "Oh, yeah, right." He removed it and lied it to the side, picking up the second one. He repeated this, his eyes frequently flicking back over.

Ignis placed the knife to the side and scooped the chopped lettuce into a bowl, "Care to explain what all that was about last night?" he asked, getting right to the point. The sound of the potato being dropped could be heard before he saw it, and Prompto visibly tensed. Seems he may have struck a nerve with that question. "I know it's something."

Prompto picked up where he left off and tried to carry on like nothing had been said. He placed the thing to the side and picked up a third, suddenly focused on his job. If he could ignore this whole confrontation, he would, but the light cough told him that wasn't an option. Carefully he lowered his hands, letting the water run over them for a few more moments before turning off the faucet. "I, um, it's just a bit of... feelings, I guess," he clumsily answered. The simple look on Ignis' face made him reconsider his response, "I just had a very realistic dream, and it freaked me out," he shrugged, "But that's to be expected, right?"

"Sure seemed a lot different from your previous ones," Ignis commented, "And that's all that was?" he added, incredulously. He turned away for a moment to check their supplies and let a soft curse escape his lips. "I think I left a bag in the car," he admitted, sounding a bit shameful about it. "I'll be right back, a minute tops. But don't think we're done talking about this." He tossed a glance over his shoulder before going out, walking at a brisk pace.

For a split second, Prompto stood there in silence, a slight ringing taking over the silence until it became unbearable. He eyes soon drifted down to his wrist, hating what lied there. 'Only for you to recognize yourself as the monster you are', that one message replayed over and over again in his head. He tightened and loosened his hand, gaze eventually drifting up to the knife.

* * *

Ignis walked in to eerie silence, not a single sound. He gazed around and found the blond nowhere to be seen, look quickly settling onto the closed bathroom door, and he relaxed slightly. Stepping the rest of the way in, he placed his bag on the counter taking out the spices he needed and placing them in a neat and organized row. Taking one of the potatoes, he lied it on his cutting board and reached for his knife, slightly confused when his fingers brushed over the counter's surface.

Looking over, it just wasn't there, he searched around for a moment, coming up empty-handed. He was about to double check when a sharp clinging sound caught his attention. It sounded like metal striking a hard surface. "Shit." It slipped out without him thinking, and he spun around and went straight to the bathroom door, "Prompto?!" he asked, not hiding the panic in his voice. He didn't get a response and began beating on the door, "Dammit, Prompto, open the door!" The worst case scenario took over every other thought he may have had.

An answer never came, but the new sound of running water popped up. "This is my last warning, open the door." He tried to sound more reasonable, but his words still came out hastily and a bit higher than normal. Still nothing. Gritting his teeth, he took a few steps back, and with no hesitation, he jumped forward, throwing all his weight against the door and ignored the slight stinging it brought to his shoulder. The door didn't budge, so he went back further, and tried again. This time, there was a bit of creak as it was finally starting to give way. On the last try, he went as far back as he could and put everything he had into it.

The door broke away enough for Ignis to force it the rest of the way open, and he found himself unable to move for a few seconds. The first thing he was aware of was all the red. It wasn't exactly a lot, but it was enough to unsettle him. Scanning around, he located his knife, lying on the floor and drizzled with blood as more was steadily dripping down around it. "What did you do?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

Prompto stared at him, eyes wide. "Ignis, please, it's not what you think," he begged. "I promise, it's not what you think." His voice quivered as he tried to keep it steady. The adviser's gaze fell to his hands which were thrust under the running water, turned crimson from the steadily streaming blood. He quickly tried to compose himself and stepped over, grabbing a hold of the blond's left wrist and pulling it away from the other to reveal the damage underneath.

There, he could see the bar code, or part of it, the rest was obscured through the red. Right above it was a deep cut, one that trailed around the perimeter of it. The lacerations were quite deep as far as he could tell, "Then what is this?" he asked, frustration clear in his voice. Prompto said nothing as he gazed down at the knife and tried to reach for it, but Ignis kept his grip strong and unrelenting. "Prompto, look at me." He used his other hand to guide the other's face, "What are you doing?"

He blinked a few times and glanced over to his wrist, "I hate it, I hate it so much." His words broke off and he took in a shuddering breath, "I just want it gone."

Ignis barely paid attention as he looked around, grabbing the closest towel he saw. Taking it, he threw it over his wrist and held it there, Prompto flinched as pressure was added. He reached up and turned the water off for the time being. "I know, but this isn't the way to deal with it." He finally replied after some time, once his nerves had time to settle down. Using his foot, he nudged the knife over until it was out of sight, not wanting Prompto to get the chance to grab at it.

Prompto took in a deep breath, his eyes falling to the floor, and he seemed to see all the blood for the first time. "I know, but I... I'm not normal." He released his breath shakily, feeling slightly dizzy now. "I wasn't thinking, but I still just want it gone," he admitted, "I want to be rid of it for good, it does nothing but cause problems." The more he spoke, the more strained his words became as he fought back his urge to break down. "It's done nothing but hurt others, and I'm sick of looking at the damn thing."

Ignis nodded as he spoke. "It's alright, calm down." He removed his hand from the towel, grabbing Prompto's and placing it on there, "Hold this there, and keep pressure on it," he instructed, getting to his feet. "And don't move." Leaning over, he snatched up the knife and brought it with him. Making his way into the kitchen, he tossed the blade into the sink and grabbed his phone, instantly dialing Gladio's number. As soon as he got an answer, he spoke, "Gladio, I need you two to come back, now." He didn't wait for a response and hung up.

Dropping his phone on the table, he stared for a moment at the slight smudge of red left behind on it. Quickly, he went back to Prompto, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He helped him stand up and assisted in steadying him when he swayed slightly. Eventually, they made their way to the table and Ignis sat him down at one of the chairs. "Give me your hand." The blond complied, doing everything he was told now mostly out of shame. Ignis removed the towel, inwardly cringing when he saw the wound in better lighting.

He had managed to cut over half-way around it before dropping the knife, but it was enough to cause it to pull away slightly. Prompto flinched as the material was taken completely away, hissing a bit at the pain it brought with it. "We don't have any more potions on us, I'll have to pick some up when the others get back, but for the time being..." He brought out their first aid kit and placed it on the table, pulling out the antiseptic and some gauze and swiftly got to work with cleaning the wound. His first instinct was to try and pull away, but Ignis was already holding his arm in place.

Prompto remained quiet, lost in the way Ignis' hands worked. "I'm sorry," he finally spoke, softly yet audibly.

"Don't apologize." He didn't mean for that to come out as rough as it did, but his patience was a little short at the moment. "Just stay still," he commented after another flinch. He just finished cleaning as the door opened, almost violently, in Gladio's and Noctis' haste in coming in.

Gladio's gaze was on them as soon as he entered, the sound of Ignis' voice when he called had him a little on edge. "What happened?" he asked, slightly out of breath as he strolled up and saw the white bandages that were quickly becoming stained. Ignis wrapped the first layer on quickly when he heard the door open. Upon seeing this, he jumped to conclusions, "Don't tell me." His words were laced with dread.

"No," Ignis replied swiftly, "No, it's not like that." He began to take more care in his wrapping now that the marks were covered and out of sight, "I'm sure we can talk about it later." He fixed a look at Prompto, who looked down in response. "But right now there are other things that need to be done." He glanced in the direction of the bathroom. "Noctis, do you think you can pick up a potion or two?"

Noctis noticed the glance and followed it, he couldn't see the full extent, but he could see the blood that sprinkled the floor, all the way to the kitchen sink where the bloodied knife still lied. He swallowed hard at the sight of it. "Y-yeah," he nodded, looking to his friend now, who sat silently at the table. He was staring blankly down at his own wrist, face a deathly pale shade. "Yeah, I'll be right back." He was gone in an instant, trying to be as quick as he could with it.

Gladio took a few steps further in, looking into the bathroom himself now when he saw the condition of the door, and he became instantly aware of all the blood, "Son of a bitch," he muttered, looking over his shoulder back to the other two. "What the hell happened?" he asked, raising his voice a little.

"Not now, Gladio, I said we can discuss this later," Ignis tried to calm him down, "Right now isn't the time though."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure him nearly killing himself is the perfect time to discuss this."

"I didn't try to kill myself!" Prompto tried to defend, wanting that to be clear if nothing else was.

Gladio gestured to the bathroom, "Oh yeah? Then what, Prompto? What do you call that?"

"Gladio! That is enough." Ignis ceased what he was doing to give the warning. "I said now is not the time. Now, let's worry about getting everything cleaned up for the time being. There is plenty of time to talk things out, but he's in no condition to be talking about this right now." Gradually he lowered his tone, turning back to tending to Prompto's wound.

The larger man stood there for a moment, running a hand through his hair. This was just getting out of hand, he wasn't sure how to deal with this anymore. He looked to Prompto, who was still just sitting there, falling silent once again, looking at nothing in particular. "Gladio." He turned to Ignis, "You mind taking my seat, I need to…" He didn't finish his sentence, but looked towards the bathroom. Gladio understood, and nodded, taking his spot.

Satisfied that Prompto was at least being watched now, Ignis fetched a large bowl and filled it with hot water, taking it straight to the other room. He hated having to do that, but he could no longer trust him to stay by himself. Taking a clean towel, he dunked it in the water and began wiping the blood off the floor, scrubbing at it until it was no longer seen. He would occasionally glance in the kitchen, seeing the other two just sitting there, neither of them seemed to be saying a word.

After a little while, Prompto resorted to lying his head down on his left arm when the faint feeling never completely went away. He felt weak before, but that was nothing compared to now. And the fact that he only created more problems for the others on top of it, it was not at all a joyous feeling to be had. He glanced up to meet Gladio's gaze, which had been fixed on him the whole time; it was a bit intimidating to say the least. He turned his head to face away.

Prompto heard the man sigh next to him. "You look terrible," he said a little offhandedly, trying to break the awkward silence. He was still furious, but he was trying to tone it down a bit. Waiting for a solid minute, he got no response, "Hey, you still awake over there?"

"Yeah," came his muffled and croaky reply, never moving his head as he spoke.

There was the sound of wood scraping against wood as Gladio scooted his chair back and stood up, "Come on, you could probably do with some sleep." At that, he got a reaction out of him.

He instantly sat up and shook his head, "No, I'm good." He couldn't sleep, not now anyway, there was no telling when he would get another text, and he couldn't miss it.

"Ok, ok, but you can lie down if nothing else." Gladio held up his hands in defense, "But sitting here isn't helping, and it's only until Noctis gets back with those potions." He looked down to the white material wrapped around his wrist, now spotted with fresh blood as it soaked through. "Come on, get up."

Honestly, he was afraid he might lose his balance if he were to get up. The other seemed to realize that issue and came to his side, draping an arm around his shoulders. Prompto accepted the help, actually wanting to lie down for a bit, but not wanting to admit that. Slowly, the made it over, the blond glanced over as Ignis was cleaning up his blood and he couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through him. At the time he was doing that, he wasn't sure what was going through his mind, and now he wished he didn't do that. It seemed so irrational after the fact, but it seemed like the perfect solution at the time.

"Easy," Gladio encouraged as he climbed onto the mattress, making sure his arm did touch anything as he didn't want to stain anything else. The larger man took a seat in one of the chairs, keeping his eyes on the other. On the bedside table, he heard Prompto's phone buzz, followed by the blond's slight jolt. There was no hesitation for him to grab it at immediately check it.

'You would have been better off just offing yourself, you know.' Prompto felt his fear rise, how could he have known what happened? He froze with his phone in his hand, his eyes began searching around the room, going to each corner, but he found nothing. Nothing that would indicate there being any cameras anywhere. Then it struck him, and he looked to his phone, it was the only other explanation.

* * *

 **One of my betas mentioned Gladio being angry as his reaction, and I didn't mean for him to come off angry per se, more or less it comes out that way.**


	9. Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

**Ok, things are about to hit the fan after this one.**

 **Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

Prompto, in a haste, began removing the back of his phone, scanning over every nook and cranny. There had to be something on it, he knew there had to be something, anything. He didn't care how out of it he may have looked, or the way Gladio was watching him, all he worried about was finding out how this guy was hearing everything. How he seemed to know everything that was going on. Running his fingers along the edge, he only took his attention away long enough to notice Noctis had come back.

"Ignis," he called as he entered the kitchen area, avoiding looking in the direction of the sink. "I got the stuff." He held up a small bag as he walked further in, glancing into the bathroom where he was still scrubbing things down. There were still stains littering the room, but he kept his gaze on the other man.

The adviser glanced up, "Thank you, make Prompto use one." He swiped the back of his hand across his brow, partially to wipe away a small layer of sweat, and partially to brush a few hairs out of his face. "Also, Noct, don't say anything or ask questions. We'll all talk about it later." He kept his head down and voice low.

Noctis blinked a few times, curious now as to what was on the other's mind, "Right," he nodded, "Not a word." Letting out a complying sigh, he turned to face the blond, he looked to be nearly tearing his phone apart now. "Uh...Are you dissecting it now?" he asked, slightly confused.

He stopped at the question and gazed over, "No, don't worry about it." Though, he still fiddled with it in his hands.

"Here." Noctis reached into his bag and retrieved one of the vials, handing it out, "Use this." His eyes drifted down the now soaked through bandages, "Before you die of blood loss." He instantly bit the inside of his lip, wishing he could take back that little remark.

Prompto eventually placed his phone down on the sheets and held out his good hand, "If that's what you really want," he whispered, taking the offered potion and holding it tightly for a few seconds. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he crushed it, that familiar warm and tingling feeling taking over, burning when it reached his wrist. He gasped silently at the sting, but nothing more than that.

"You, uh, need anything else?" Noctis awkwardly asked, unsure of what to do in a situation such as this one. "Water? Anything?"

He shook his head slowly, "No, thank you, I'm good." Reaching down, he picked his phone back up and continued where he left off. Noctis wanted to take that thing away from him, his obsession with it wasn't normal, but he figured he should just let him be. Taking it away probably wouldn't help. He looked at Gladio, trying to gauge his reaction to all this. The larger man was watching out of a mix of fascination and concern, but like Noctis, he wasn't sure what he should do about it.

The prince turned just as Ignis was leaving the bathroom, wiping his hands on a slightly used towel; he assumed that to be the cleanest one they had now. He couldn't help but noticed how the normally composed man appeared to be a bit frazzled, but after witnessing what he had, who could blame him. He went straight to the kitchen sink and leaned over it, heavily against the edge. Taking a few moments to himself, he took a couple deep breaths, and realizing what he was looking down at, swiftly washed the knife off. He muttered under his breath, but from where he was, Noctis couldn't discern what it was.

Ignis sat the blade aside and rinsed the sink out, washing all remnants of crimson down the drain and out of sight. He glanced behind him, looking down to the blood that was still splattered on the floor between the two rooms; still so much more to clean up. Breathing in deeply, he pushed himself away and went back to grab his bowl of water, taking it out into the other room now.

Prompto glanced over occasionally, guilt now tugging at every fiber at seeing someone else clean up his mess. He distracted himself by continuing to search his phone, until he finally came across something that didn't look right. Squinting his eyes, he pinched at the small piece, pulling it away. "I knew it," he mumbled under his breath as he looked at the small circular piece of metal. Clasping his hand around it, he stuffed it into his pocket, hoping the others weren't paying enough attention.

"There." Ignis stood up, bowl in hand as he carried it to the bathroom and began to wash it out in the sink. "I think I got it all, things will still require sanitizing, though." Once his hands were washed, he strolled over to the table, setting himself at it and leaned his head against a hand. It felt like everything was falling apart. All that time spent trying to fix things and build back up, only for it to blow up like it had. He removed his glasses in order to wipe both hands down his face, "What now?" he asked himself quietly, cutting his eyes over to the others.

After a moment of silence, Prompto went to get up, only stopping when things spun slightly. Gladio was there in an instant, "Maybe you shouldn't be getting up right now." He tried to sound calm, especially after his earlier outburst, "Just let us know if you need anything."

He stared at the man for a second, all he wanted to do was flush this thing, or get rid of it somehow, "I just need to use the bathroom." His voice sank further with each word. "Am I allowed to do that much?" He sounded decently offended, though it was understandable that they didn't want him wandering around now. Especially not Gladio and Noctis, not knowing the truth and all that. "You can stand outside if it makes you feel any better about it."

"It's fine, Gladio, you can let him go." Ignis waved a dismissive hand, "There's nothing in there that can be...harmful now." He never looked in their direction, just kept his head in his other hand as he closed his eyes.

He nodded, despite Ignis not seeing, "Just, be careful." He folded his arms and stepped back, keeping an eye on him the whole time, ready to jump forward should he stumble or trip. He was already unsteady on his feet, so it wouldn't have taken much. But, luckily, he was able to reach it without further incident. Prompto closed the door behind him, well, as much as he could after Ignis got a hold of it.

Gladio soon joined the other at the table, "So, what's the plan?"

For once, Ignis actually shrugged, "I don't know," he admitted, "I don't know what else to do. Now he's barely getting any sleep on top of everything else." He lifted his head now, and looked right at Gladio, "Something has to be done though."

"To get him to sleep?" The larger man asked, making sure he had things right. "Because if that's what you want, I have a solution to that, and you know what it is."

He stared at him, considering that option himself now. "You know he won't be happy if he finds out. It could destroy the little trust he has left. But, he does need to sleep, and maybe sleeping will help him think clearly." Finally, he pulled his hands away from his face and leaned back, "I need to finish cooking, I'll leave Prompto to you for the time being. Go easy on him, if you can help it." He turned towards Noctis, who was still sitting on the other bed, "Maybe you should just leave all the talking stuff to Noctis."

Gladio hummed in agreement, he wasn't the best at communicating, so Ignis had a point there. "Don't worry, I'm not going to bite his head off or anything."

"Could have fooled me." With a soft sigh, he pushed his chair back and made his way back over to the counter, pulling out a clean knife to pick up where he left off. He allowed his body to work on auto-pilot, his mind everywhere but what he was doing.

A few seconds after a flush sounded, Prompto emerged, cautiously making his way back over to the bed. Half-way over, Noctis had to step in to keep him upright as a wave of dizziness hit him. "Careful now." He helped guide him over until he was situated and curling up on his side, already grabbing his phone up as he worked to try and put it all back together. "Why don't you let me-"

"No!" He held it a bit closer, "I mean, I can do it myself, I'm probably better with this stuff anyway." Trying to offer a small smile, a piece slipped from his grip and fell to the floor.

Noctis prevented him from reaching for it, "I got it." He handed it back, "Did you accomplish what you were attempting to do?" he asked, making idle conversation, avoiding asking anything that might upset him.

"I guess," he answered vaguely, "Well, I accomplished something at least." He remained focused on his new project, wanting to get it back together as quickly as possible. Enough time has already passed since he's replied, and he just knew they would not be happy in the slightest that he found their little addition and got rid of it. He let a few soft swears escape as his fingers slipped every now and then.

* * *

Ignis was now finishing things up in the kitchen, by this point everyone else was talking in the other room. He couldn't make out everything that was being said, but from what he could make out, it was idle conversation of little importance. He decided to go with a stew of sorts, hoping that Prompto would eat more with a more liquid based food, and it worked better for what he had in mind. Portioning it into separate bowls, he made sure to put a little less in one, knowing he still wouldn't finish it. With a quick glance over, making sure he wasn't watching, he stepped back over to the first aid kit, and quietly searched until he found what he was searching for. Procuring a small bottle, he read it to make sure he grabbed the right thing. A small bottle of generic sleeping medication.

He already hated himself for what he was doing, but again, he didn't know what else to do, he couldn't talk him into sleeping, or anything else for that matter. He read over the label, the amount one was supposed to take. That being two tablets, so he dumped out four. Doubling the amount to compensate for the fact that he knew Prompto wouldn't get enough otherwise. Tossing them into a plastic bag, he used the side of the knife to press down and crush them before dumping the powder into the stew and stirring it in until it was invisible.

Looking back over the bowls again, he still felt a pang of betrayal at the thought of what he was doing. He felt nearly as low as Dominus and the others at this point, stooping down to such a level, but he shoved all that aside, and told himself it was for Prompto's own good. He was doing this to help him. "Alright, dinner is ready." He announced, changing lunch to dinner, seeing how late it was now. Before the blond had a chance to get up, he brought his to him, partially because he didn't want things to get mixed up.

"Thanks," he offered bit of appreciation, though he felt as though he didn't deserve the assistance the others were trying to give him. Why did they insist on continuing to help him? They all sat in there instead of the table, none of them wanting to make him be alone. He slowly began eating, again, more of an instinctual thing than wanting to. After all the trouble he caused, he may as well make an attempt at this.

Ignis kept his scrutiny subtle, only looking over every now and then to make sure he was getting some of it down, getting enough to take effect that is. Gladio did the same, only, he wasn't quite as stealthy at it. Not that it mattered, Prompto wasn't paying attention to them anyway. He soon placed his bowl aside in order to work on his phone again, seeing as he was so close to getting it back together.

"Are you done?" Noctis asked once he finished his own, holding out a hand to take both to the kitchen. With a nod, he handed it over. He was surprised to see he actually had a decent amount this time. Still wasn't all of it, but more than usual.

It wasn't long after that when Prompto started struggling to keep his eyes open, but he fought it off long enough to finish up. Pressing the 'on' button, he was satisfied as it buzzed to life. He rubbed at his eyes as he lied the device down on his lap for a moment, staying awake becoming more of a chore. This didn't go unnoticed by the others, and it was clear it wouldn't take much more time until he gave in.

They bid their time, waiting for that moment to arrive, watching until he soon relaxed back and turned to his side. After that, he was done for, a few light snores could be heard and he was finally sleeping. Ignis sat in silence and gazed upon him, his regret about this deepening, regardless of his intentions. He was beginning to question his own tactics now, surely there was a better way than this. Soon, his eyes landed on the bandages on his wrist, and he had almost forgotten about that. Taking the wristband out of his pocket, he stepped over, and quickly unraveled the material, looking at his arm just long enough to get a good look at the scar that marred the area. He replaced the band back where it should be before the others got a look at it.

Gathering up the used gauze, he strode over and tossed them in the trash before moving to the coffee maker; he felt like he deserved a cup or two after the day he had. He stood by as it made, watching it like it was his prey almost, "Would you please just sit down for a second," Gladio commented, seeing the man's nervous habits of keeping himself busy. "It's not going to make faster with you standing there."

"I'm quite aware of that," he replied, but staying where he was. "I'll relax when I'm able to."

"Gladio's right, just settle down. You don't have to take care of everything, ya know," Noctis offered, "We are here after all, and we can handle some of the burden."

Ignis turned his head to the side, trying to work out a knot in his neck, "I don't doubt your ability to handle things. I can't explain it, but I have to take care of this myself." He looked over to the blond's sleeping form, "He's still in a dark place, and until he's out of it, it has to be me."

Gladio breathed out heavily through his nose, "Yeah, I understand, but you can still let us take care of some things. Even if it's just cleaning or something." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, "If you keep this up, we'll be having to do the same to you as him," he teased, nodding towards Prompto.

"Wait, what?" Noctis asked, hearing news of this for the first time. "What did you do?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing that will hurt him," Ignis reassured, "Just a bit of sleeping meds. It was necessary." He tried to convince the other, as well as himself.

Noctis shot up to his feet, "You drugged him?!" He was shocked to say the least, "What were you thinking? He already has trust issues, and now you pull something like this?" He was starting to raise his voice now, letting his anger get the better of him. "Necessary, my ass."

"Noct, calm yourself," Ignis spoke quietly, rubbing at his temples as the beginnings of a headache surfaced, "You don't understand."

The prince grit his teeth, pushing down his frustration, "I understand perfectly well."

"You really don't," Gladio spoke up now, in Ignis' defense, "He's barely slept these past few days, and talking to him wasn't going to change that. He clearly didn't feel safe doing so, and we had to take matters into our own hands, regardless of how we feel about it, ok? It's not as if we wanted to resort to this."

Noctis opened his mouth to speak, but the buzzing cut him off. He turned to the source of it to find the noise coming from Prompto's phone, and his interest piqued once again. "That thing has been taking up all his attention," he commented. He knew he was no better if he did, but he really needed to know what the hell had been going on. But it seemed Ignis had beat him to it as he picked it up first, already opening the message.

He didn't need to say anything for the others to know something was seriously wrong. Ignis slowly lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed as he read over the message, 'It doesn't matter what you do, you'll still be an abomination. No matter what, you can't deny what you are'. The first thing he felt was rage, pure anger at whoever this was. "Gladio, Noct," he spoke quietly, waving them over. He knew this was about his code, but that didn't matter right now, to hell with secrets at this point.

"What is this?" Gladio asked, "Who is this bastard and what is he talking about?" He took the phone out of Ignis' hands to scroll through the other messages until he reached one image in particular that stuck out to him. He froze, knowing exactly what he was looking at, "Son of a bitch," he ground out, eyes going from the phone to Prompto, "This asshole sends something like this, and he doesn't say a damn word?!" He didn't even try to hide his fury. He pushed the phone back to Ignis before getting to his own feet and pulling out his own phone to dial Iris' number.

A little confused, Ignis and Noctis looked upon the image, taking in the same blood covered clothes that caused the blond to nearly lose it. Both feeling their heart stop and minds race. This suddenly seemed a lot more serious than they first thought.


	10. Tempers Flare

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

Gladio had one thing on his mind now, and that was making sure Iris was safe. He had her number dialed and was listening to it ring before he even made it out the door. "Come on, answer already," he almost begged after the second ring. He had his phone in a death grip, every moment was only making it tighten. On the third ring, he found himself walking, nearly jogging, towards where he knew her to be staying. On the fourth ring, he may as well have been running, shoving past people as he moved, all common courtesy a thing of the past. He was mid-push, hand still on someone's shoulder, when he got his answer. "Gladdy? Do you realize what time it is?"

"Are you alright?" He blurted out, ignoring her initial question, not even hearing it for that matter.

Hearing the close to panicking tone of her brother's voice, she got right to the point, "Y-yeah, I'm fine, why? Is something wrong?"

He sighed out in relief, his primary feeling of fear fleeting, but his anger and unease still remained behind, "Tell me, have you noticed anything weird or out of place. Anything at all, I don't care how insignificant it may be." He continued walking, but at a slower pace now, still heading towards her room.

She got quiet for a moment, clearly thinking about what to say. Eventually she found her voice, "Um, well. Yesterday, someone broke in while I was out. I don't think they took anything of value, but things were out of place."

"Why didn't you call me the moment that happened?" He balled his hand into a fist, "You should have told me yesterday." The idea of someone being anywhere near her room caused a chill to run down his spine. And what if she had been there? He didn't question her ability to defend herself, but he didn't know who or how many they were dealing with here. Plus, no matter what, he would still worry about her. He cast all these thoughts aside, "Anything else?"

Again, another pause. "Someone did call me...last night. I don't know who it was, but they hung up. They didn't say anything, I assumed it was just a wrong number."

"I'm almost there." He stayed on the phone until he was right outside and knocking on her door, only hanging up when she actually answered and he could see her face. Stepping inside, he automatically checked every corner and closed every blind, being extra careful and sure that they were really alone, "You're coming back with me, and you are staying with us until everything gets taken care of."

Grabbing her wrist gently, he started back towards the door, half pulling her along. As they reached the door, she harshly jerked her hand away, "Wait, what's going on? Why are you so on edge all of a sudden?" She met his gaze and held it, silently asking him to tell her everything now.

Gladio shifted to one foot, "Look, it's a lot to explain, I'm not sure myself, but if you come back with me, we will get everything sorted out one way or another." He reached out for her again, "Please, I don't feel safe with you being here by yourself right now. And I'm not asking you to come back with me, I'm telling you to."

* * *

Ignis kept scrolling through the messages, each one striking a nerve one after another. Noctis was right next to him, reading along as well, and he knew most of it was going over his head, a lot of it probably didn't make as much sense to him as it did to Ignis. But, that didn't stop him from being just as infuriated as the other was, probably even more so. Every now and then his eyes would flick over to Prompto, who hadn't moved an inch since falling asleep. Whatever Ignis gave him really had him out.

After scrolling through them all, he went back to the bottom, reading over the last message again, "And this has been going on for two days," he stated more than asked. "Two days, and we didn't even know about it. I knew I should have pressed him about it earlier." He leaned back and allowed Noctis to take it from his grasp.

He scanned over the various messages himself and settled back on the other man, "I know you know more than I do about this. You owe me an explanation. Enough keeping secrets, this is something where things like that don't matter anymore."

The adviser took a deep breath, knowing this moment was coming sooner or later, and it wouldn't do any good to beat around the bush. "Alright, I did say I would explain." He pushed himself up and crouched down next to Prompto, waving Noctis over, "It's better that you see it though." Once the prince was next to him, he carefully pulled Prompto's right arm over, moving slowly to make sure he didn't disturb him. Keeping his eyes on the blond's face, he slowly removed the wristband, exposing the code for Noctis to see.

"Is that...?" he asked quietly, not finishing his sentence, but Ignis nodded anyway. He continued to stare at it, eventually noticing the obvious scar that traced mostly around it, and he then understood what had happened. "So, he really wasn't trying to kill himself then." He sounded relieved, but he was still highly concerned and bewildered by the whole thing. "Why didn't he say anything before?" he asked himself, slightly upset that he was never told despite being the closest friend he's had.

Ignis replaced the band, hiding the mark away once more, "I can think of a few reasons," he commented flatly, but not harshly. "I'm sure it's not something you go flaunting around."

"I know, but still. He didn't even trust us to know about it?" He straightened himself back up, "Did he honestly think we would cast him aside or something?" His voice was rising slightly, and Ignis quickly did a motion with his hand, telling him to tone it down. "He should have said something." He finished, going back to his seat.

"If it were you, would you have told anyone?" the other asked, scepticism filling his words. "I don't think it's as simple as that." He pushed his glasses up, getting to his own feet now, "But, it is information that's important to know now, meaning Gladio will have to be filled in when he gets back."

"Think Iris is alright?" Noctis finally asked what they were both wondering.

Ignis sat in silence for a moment, "I believe so. If something truly happened, I'm positive Prompto would have said something. Without her being at risk, he would have had no reason to keep this hidden," he reasoned out, hoping that he was right on this one. "Until Gladio gets back, we won't know for sure, though."

Noctis nodded, trying to hide his deep worry for her. He doubted anything really happened to her, but who's to say. He held the phone in his hand, jumping when it went off. "I swear, this guy doesn't know when to stop." He instantly opened it, and read it aloud for Ignis to hear it as well, "I told you, I won't be ignored. Enough time has passed for you to reply. Keep this up, and I'll stay true to my word."

"Don't reply." Ignis instructed. "Gladio went after Iris, so there's no reason to worry about her now. The best we can do is ignore them, do that and they'll slip up when they get frustrated enough."

This didn't sit well with Noctis, he wanted nothing more than to lay into this guy right now, but he knew Ignis was right. It was best to just lay low for now, he didn't want to say the wrong thing and cause things to escalate more than they had to. "Alright." Just to stifle his temptations, he tossed the phone onto the bed, hoping the urge would die down if he wasn't holding it. He stared at it for a minute, expecting something to happen, but the only thing he heard was the front door open, Gladio storming in, Iris close behind.

"How long is he going to be asleep?" he asked as soon as he walked in, not masking his anger anymore.

Ignis shrugged with one shoulder, "I have no idea, but his body needs a lot of it right now, so it could be a while." He could tell by the way Gladio was carrying himself, that whatever he had on his mind, it wasn't pleasant. "Why?"

"I need to have a word with him." By now, he was standing directly in front of Ignis, "He knows more about what's going on than any of us, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to get answers."

Ignis gazed up to meet the other man's eyes, "I understand you're upset, but you need to settle down, this isn't his fault."

"Then whose is it?!" he raised his voice, "Tell me, because I'm pretty sure knowing someone is in danger, but keeping it to yourself, makes you pretty guilty!"

Iris quickly stepped up and grabbed onto her brother's arm, "Gladdy, stop. What are you talking about?"

"You," Gladio answered simply, "This is about you. Some asshole, who knows who, has made threats to your life, and Prompto knew about his. And did he ever say anything, no, not a word about any of it. He knew you were in danger, and didn't have the nerve to let me, or any of us know about it!" He struck out without thinking, the sound of snapping wood echoing off the walls.

Iris only stared, shocked at this flare-up, cutting her eyes over to where his fist was now through the wall. "Gladdy, I know you were worried, and I appreciate it, but there's no need to act like this." Her eyes drifted past him and landed on something else.

Gladio pulled his hand away, shaking it a few times to chase the stinging away and slowly turned to follow her gaze. "Well, look who's awake, care to explain what the hell is going on?" He looked straight into Prompto's wide and slightly disoriented eyes, "And I want the truth, all of it."

The blond sat there, staring down at his hands, occasionally looking around to the others standing around, "H-how much do you know?" he asked timidly, sitting further up, "And why is Iris here? What's going on?" He had a thousand questions, and he didn't know which ones should take priority. The way Gladio watched him though, it made him anxious and a tad uneasy. His eyes still shifted between all of them.

"It doesn't matter how much we know." Gladio folded his arms, "But you're going to tell us everything, and more importantly, you're going to explain to me why the hell you were sent a picture of her clothes covered in fucking blood!" he practically yelled, causing the other to flinch away.

He opened his mouth a few times to answer, finding speaking to be difficult now under all the pressure. "I-I couldn't..." He finally managed to work that out.

"You couldn't?" Gladio asked, starting to raise his voice again, "Or you wouldn't? Because I'm pretty sure you had full ability to say something!"

"Gladio, there's no need to raise your voice. We can talk about this in a civilized manner," Ignis tried to alleviate the situation some before it got out of hand, "Lower your voice and things will be explained."

"So you know about this as well?" he continued, keeping his voice at the same volume, "I'm not asking you though, I'm asking him." He pointed at Prompto, "I want to hear him answer why he's getting these messages. I want to hear him tell me what he has to do with any of this!" He turned back to the younger, who now had his arms wrapped around himself, eyes cast downward. Each of Gladio's words were accompanied with a wince. "So start talking."

Prompto blinked a few times, still feeling quite groggy from having been woken so suddenly, and while the medication was still having effect. Taking in a shuddering breath, he tried to explain. "He said he would hurt her if I said anything." he started quietly, "I-I couldn't risk that. I couldn't risk it in case he was telling the truth." His words broke off as he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check.

"So, even when there was a chance that she was hurt, or even dead, you still couldn't risk it?!" He went to punch the wall again, but this time stopped before his fist connected, but the movement still made the blond back away a small amount.

"Gladdy, that's enough. I'm safe, so it's alright." Iris practically begged him to calm down.

"That's not the point!" He took another step, and this time Prompto got to his feet just to create some more distance, putting a hand against the wall when his body didn't agree with the change of orientation.

"Please, I can explain," Prompto began, carefully making his way around the bed, still keeping his distance. He slowly made his way around, "I don't blame you for being mad, I should have said something, I wanted to, but..."

The larger man stepped to the side, blocking his only exit to make sure he didn't make a run for it, "Yeah, you should have."

"You are being irrational," Ignis started, "This is a really complicated manner, and until you know the full story–"

"Stay out of this!" Gladio turned his attention for a moment, but it was enough time for Prompto to try and slip by. The other turned back in time to catch him by his left wrist, "No, you're not going anywhere until you explain what's going on."

He froze with the contact, fear and panic racing through his mind at the restraint as Impius' face flashed before him. His heart began drumming in his chest and instincts took over. He knew he was in no real danger, but his body still acted on its own, "Please, don't!" he yelled before he could stop himself, striking out with his free hand. The sound resonated for a second and Gladio stood there stunned, loosening his grip enough for Prompto to pull out of it. He backed up a few steps, withdrawing his now free hand to his chest, "I didn't mean to," he said, eyes wide, "I think, I need some fresh air."

"Prompto, wait," Noctis started, already making to go after him.

Gladio held up a hand for the other to stop, "Just let him go," he almost growled out, sitting down on the edge of the bed and placed his face in his hands. "He'll come back."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Noctis rhetorically asked, "You lost your mind back there."

Gladio cut his eyes up, "Until you have a younger sibling, you won't understand. Their safety comes before the feelings of others. He'll get over it..."

"Don't you know, he didn't say anything to protect her! He did so, and tried to deal with all this shit alone, for her safety!" he strode over and scooped up Prompto's phone and basically shoved it into his hands, "Why don't you try giving those other messages a look, and then see if you still feel the same way. And while you do that, I'm going to find him and bring him back." He didn't give Gladio a chance to respond before he was out the door himself.

For a few seconds, he only stared down at it, eventually going to the texts as he began to go through them from the beginning. With each one he read, his anger subsided a small amount. Once he reached the end, he took a deep breath and rubbed his hands down his face after tossing the phone next to him. "In other words, I just made an ass of myself," he said quietly.

"Pretty much," Ignis agreed.

"Why though?" Gladio asked, once he understood the situation well enough, "Why this fascination with him of all people?" Ignis took a deep breath, going over this once felt bad enough, but now he felt it was essential for these two to know the truth as well. Prompto was already going to hate him anyway, so it couldn't get much worse, he supposed.

* * *

The chilled air hit him the moment he stepped out, he could still hear a bit of arguing among the others as he walked, wrapping his arms around himself. Now, thanks to him, there was a bit of a rift between the four of them. And now the others were even upset with each other due to his problems. The further he walked away, the more he felt himself calming down, and the easier it was to breathe normally.

He didn't know how far he was walking, he just knew that he needed some time to himself, some time to let Gladio cool off so he could better explain without feeling like he was about to have a panic attack. Kind of hard to communicate when something like that was going on. A shiver ran through him at a particularly strong gust, and he found himself wrapping his arms further around himself, seeking a bit of warmth.

It didn't take long until his adrenaline wore down and he started to feel exhausted again. Seeing a bench nearby, the same him, Noctis and Iris had sat at, he headed for that and sat himself on it for a few minutes. He spent that time watching the various people walk by, going about their night as normal, and he couldn't help but envy how carefree they were; they didn't have someone harassing and watching their every move. They didn't have to worry about what they were. Looking through the crowd, eyes landing on each person for a few seconds before moving to the next, there was one he couldn't help but look at for a moment longer.

This person met his gaze, and noticing the recognition in Prompto's eyes, turned on his heel and began to briskly walk in the opposite direction. "You," the blond whispered, getting up immediately and started trailing this guy who was weaving in and out of the crowd until he eventually ducked into a back alley. He paused as he reached it, gazing down it as he scanned the spot, not seeing anyone. Cautiously he stepped down it, glancing in every direction, "Show yourself," he tried to sound intimidating, but his fear showed through easily.

Walking further down, there was a split up ahead, and he realized it was the same one where he bumped into that guy the other day. "Come on, you coward," he called out, a little more confident now, trying to provoke the man. He rounded one corner, and quickly searched from his spot, instantly freezing when he felt something cold and metallic reach around his neck as it was pressed uncomfortably against his throat. A heavy, "Don't move," was breathed down the back of his neck.

* * *

 **And yes, I did have to do another cliffy like this, it's in my blood.**

 **Again, Gladio kinda goes loose here, but it is his sister after all, and he'd probably turn on anyone. lol**


	11. Acerbus, Macto, and Rudis

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

Gladio sat there for a little while in silence, staring down at his hands while he soaked it all in. It was a bit jarring, to say the least, yet he didn't feel too off-put about it. In a way, knowing about this helped to shed some light on the situation. "Wow," he said after a moment, finally lifting his head to look at the others, "That was, um, unexpected." Taking a deep breath, he stood up, "I guess I should go look for him too."

"That might not be a good idea," Ignis informed, "I'm sure he may be a tad rattled after what just happened." He gazed over to the front door, "Let Noctis talk with him first, get some time to settle his nerves, then when he comes back, both of you will be in a far better state of mind."

Reluctantly, he sat back down, clasping his hands tightly together. He noticed a slight shift as Iris sat next to him, "Don't worry about it, you know he'll forgive you. Even if you did kind of blow up there," she added, quieter.

He relished in her comfort, hoping that would be the case after that, after he nearly chewed his head off. "Yeah, I'm sure you're right, that kid is too damn forgiving sometimes."

The longer the two of them were gone, the more antsy Ignis became. Much to the annoyance of the others, he found that tapping his foot helped a little to wear his growing nervousness down. When that no longer made waiting any easier, he switched to pacing around the room, walking from one side to the other, the glances the others gave him lost. Occasional, he looked towards the door, expecting them to come through at any moment, but that never came. He was beginning to wonder if maybe they should just go after them themselves like Gladio had suggested.

"Iggy, please, will you sit down, you're making me nervous with all your moving around," Gladio waved his hand around to emphasize his point.

He stopped mid-step, looking over to the other man, "My apologies." With that, he went back to tapping his foot, more aggressively this time, the sound being the only thing filling the space. "It shouldn't take this long, I'm sure," he commented after a while, no longer able to stifle his concerns, "He should be a stumbling mess right now, how far could he have possibly gotten."

"Like you said, him and Noct are probably taking some time to talk things over before coming back," Gladio tried to reason, looking for some excuse, "You're always telling us to have patience, now it's your turn." Ignis merely cut his eyes over, not appreciating his own advice being thrown back at him like that.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly releasing it after a couple seconds, "You're right, I'm working myself up." He hated agreeing, but it was true, and he needed coffee. The moment he had his hand on the handle of the coffee pot, his phone went off. Reacting immediately, he replaced it and retrieved his phone from his back pocket. Seeing that it was Noctis, he answered instantly, "Did you find him?" He stood and listened, Gladio and Iris watching from their spot as his face slowly fell and took on a much more serious expression. The room fell into silence while he took in what the prince was saying, "Alright, well, come back here and we'll head out soon. We should at least stay together until this gets sorted out, so hurry back."

Iris kept her eyes on him as he hung up and just stood there. "Well?" she asked after a moment, "What's going on?" The anxiousness was clear in her voice.

He hesitated before answering, keeping his voice solemn, "He can't find him," he answered simply, "He's looked all around the immediate area, but nothing, absolutely nothing." Finally, he sat down in one of the chairs, letting out a heavy breath as he did and leaned his head back, "We should have stopped him, it wouldn't have been that hard."

"Ignis, you're doing it again," Gladio commented. "Like I said, you can't always take the blame for these things." All he got was a hum from the other, not exactly a reply, but more of an acknowledgement. "I think it's fair to say that none of us handled things the way we should have." He cocked his head to the side at that, willing to take a lot of that from himself.

* * *

His breath hitched as the knife pressed a little further into his skin, causing a small sharp pain to surface. Trying to keep his breathing fast and shallow to prevent himself from being cut, he slowly raised his hands, showing that he wasn't going to try anything shifty. There was another hand that carefully ran through his hair before it grabbed on and roughly yanked his head back, exposing his neck even further, "Try anything, and I will not hesitate to slit your throat. Try and call for help, and I'll do the same. Do you understand?" As subtly as he could, Prompto nodded. "Good."

Hearing something in the distance, his eyes widened as he realized what it was. It sounded like Noctis, calling for him. He swallowed hard and was harshly reminded of the blade that would determine if he lived or not, and against his temptations, he stayed quiet. Eventually, the voice died down, and he knew his chances disappeared along with it. Slowly, the knife was removed his throat, but instead, it slid around until it was pointed at the center of his back. Keeping his grip on his hair though, the man prodded with the tip of the blade, beckoning the blond to start walking forward. "That's right, keep going."

"Wh-what do you want?" he stuttered out, finally feeling like he could speak without fearing the action would end him.

As a response, there was a sharp but small stab to his back, "I told you already, now shut the hell up and keep walking." He used his weapon almost like reigns, guiding him in the direction he wished him to go. The process was slow and painful, but eventually they made it to an alley further off from the others, and he soon recognized it as the same one he heard those strange noises from the other day.

"Where are you taking me?" He kept his voice low, afraid that talking any louder, and it would crack. Again, he received his answer with his head being jerked back, which did nothing to help his light-headedness. He knew he was weak and sleep deprived, but that didn't explain why his body felt as heavy as it did. All of his actions felt delayed and clumsy. Another uncertain step, and he felt himself stumble, but he was swiftly yanked back up.

"Stay on your feet," he demanded, not giving Prompto a chance to get his balance back before he was ushering him along again. Soon, he stopped at the back of a building, removing his hand from the blond's hair long enough to knock on the door a couple times. He could hear some shuffling from inside until someone eventually opened the door wide enough to peek out. "Come on, don't waste my time, now open the damn door," he demanded, nearly shoving Prompto in and followed in after.

This time, he couldn't regain his footing and ended up on the floor, in a very ungraceful manner at that. "This is it?" he heard someone else ask, the voice was too deep to be the janitor guy, "What the hell, Acerbus, I thought you said this punk was an MT, not some scrawny kid." Whoever that was talking walked up to him as he lied there and, using a foot, pushed him over to his back. "Look at him, what could he possibly do?"

The man, now known as Acerbus, crouched down and seized Prompto's arm, ripping his band away and casting it aside, "Is this proof enough for ya?" He pulled his arm upward for the other to get a better look at it, "No one, except those despicable things, has these codes. Do you get it now?" He lost his grip as Prompto jerked his arm away and held it close to his chest. "So yes, he's one of them, whether he looks the part or not."

"I-I'm not like them," Prompto tried to raise his voice, but instead it came out low and strained. He went to sit up, but the glint of the knife flashing before his face told him he should probably stay down. "Please, just listen to me," he attempted to reason with them, but it was obvious their spite wasn't allowing them to think about things. "Just give me a cha-" His words were cut off with a swift kick to his side, causing him to curl up around the pain.

"I thought I told you to shut it," Acerbus spat, "Speak again, and I will hurt you." He switched his gaze over to the other, "Go get Macto so we can start our...little talk." The words slipped off his tongue in a way Prompto wasn't too fond of. He found himself slightly cringing at the sound of it. When the other was out of sight, disappearing through another door, the man turned back to Prompto. "Over there," he instructed, pointing to the far corner. Seeing him starting to get up, he pushed him back over with a nudge of his foot, "Stay down, and crawl over there."

He cut his eyes up at him, honestly feeling like an animal at this point, but maybe that's what they wanted. Maybe that's what they really saw him as. He decided that cooperating was probably for the best for the time being, he could bide his time and take the time to think things through. If he could, that is; thinking was still a bit difficult for him. Carefully, he made his way over, pulling himself up to lean against the wall once he reached it and kept his eyes glued on Acerbus, suspicious of every move the man made.

"Can I help you with something?" he finally asked, getting sick of being stared at.

At that, Prompto looked away, fiddling with his hands like he normally did when he got nervous. "So, you have me," he finally spoke, ignoring his earlier warnings. "Does this mean you'll leave everyone else alone?" He sounded hopeful, but tried not to get his spirits up too high. "This is what you wanted after all, isn't it?" he continued as the guy stepped closer and knelt down in front of him, "Which means you don't need them anymore."

Acerbus laughed lightly to himself as he shook his head. "You don't listen well, do you?" he asked in a demeaning tone, and in a flash, he struck the back of his hand across the blond's face, "I told you to shut your damn mouth. Don't test my patience." He swiftly grabbed his face, holding it to make sure he continued to look at him, "You just assume that no one is safe, how about that?" He give a quick squeeze before releasing his hold and standing back up.

"You needed me?" came a third voice: Macto, Prompto guessed. He came through the same door the other man had gone through, stopping once his eyes caught sight of him, "Well, well, well. Is this what all this commotion was about?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Rudis was right, doesn't look like much, but he says it's the real deal."

"Take a look for yourself, if you don't believe us," he gestured a hand in the gunslinger's direction, "Right wrist if you want to see it."

The other shook his head, "I believe your word, but he still doesn't look like much. Then again, I know how deceiving these bastards can be." He walked closer without warning, and Prompto instinctively flinched away, feeling his heart speeding up again. "Hm, a bit skittish."

"Don't let it fool you, I've seen what he's capable of. Hell, you've seen the bruises he left on me. He's fully able to murder someone in cold blood."

Prompto thought back to that day, when he killed one man and nearly killed another. "He deserved it!" he accidentally blurted out, eyes growing wide at the realization of what he's done. Both men now had their attention on him, looking rather displeased.

"He's a bit of a disobedient pest, this one," Acerbus commented, "Odd, he seemed so much more well-trained over the texts." He stretched his neck to the side, a few cracks sounding out with it, "But, I feel like it should be pretty easy, just threaten something he cares about, and he bends to your will. Quite remarkable for a monstrosity if you ask me."

The next moment, Rudis was back with them, finally returning from whatever it was he was doing. He came bounding in, and came too close too quickly for Prompto's comfort, and without thinking, he felt the weight of his gun in his hand, training it directly at the new arrival. His hand shook slightly from the fear and exertion, but he held it up, not allowing it to falter.

* * *

He leaned forward to allow himself to catch his breath, it felt like he had been running non-stop for hours on end, which actually sounded likely. But, he knew he couldn't give up yet, not while this creep was still out there somewhere, up to who knows what. He couldn't help but wonder how the hell he managed to lose him, he was already pretty unsteady as it was, and with the sleeping medication on top of that, there is no way he should have been able to get away. Straightening himself back up, he called out a few more times, just now realizing he was at that little restaurant Iris had brought them. That seemed like forever ago now.

"Prompto!" he called out, frustrated at the amount of people that were walking around being loud, wondering how he would hear anything with all this noise. "Come on, where are you," he muttered, pushing past a group of people, ignoring their voiced complaints about how rude others were.

Stopping at the center, he gazed around, scanning over all the various faces, none of which stood out to him and all blended together into one. He felt a bit of panic rise, and he was starting to realize that his chances of chasing him down were pretty slim now. Letting out a quick swear, he pulled out his phone, dialing Ignis number. This was the same as admitting defeat, but he wasn't going to be able to do this on his own.

He sat down on the closest bench as it rang, biting his lip as he dreaded having this conversation. Knowing how Ignis has been lately, this was going to be a heavy blow to him, having been so careful to assure nothing else happened to anyone. His heart dropped when he heard him pick up and the first question he asked was about whether he found him or not.

Taking a shuddering breath, he glanced around once more, as if he would magically pop up somewhere right when he needed him to, "No, I haven't. I've looked around everywhere, Ignis, and nothing. No signs of him anywhere, and I just don't understand." He leaned against his hand, closing his eyes, "I don't know where else to look, and I can't call him or anything, and it's not like he has some place around here he likes to go to. Well, none that I know of anyway." He ceased his mini rant, letting Ignis do the talking now. "Ok" He replied, disappointment heavy in his voice, "I'll be there as quickly as I can."

The trip back went by much slower than he thought it would, giving him more time than he would have liked to think about this whole thing. His mind wandering to paths he didn't wish to traverse. What if he was dead? It wasn't something he wanted to consider, but it was a possibility, and he couldn't help but jump right to the worst possible outcome. It took him a while to notice he was standing outside their door, and had no idea how long he had been standing there.

Hesitantly, he pushed open the door and stepped in, instantly looking from one to the other. First was Gladio and Iris as they sat on the edge of the bed, and it looked as though she were trying to comfort him, who looked devastated now that he looked more closely at his face. And then there was Ignis, pacing around, cup of coffee in hand, but it didn't look like he's drank any of it. He didn't say a word as he walked in, glancing at the broken door and busted wall as he did.

"So, now that we're all here, can we get going now?" Gladio asked, getting to his feet, Iris standing with him. He turned to her as she still held onto his arm, "Maybe you should stay here, I don't think it's safe for you to be out there."

She took a step away and folded her arms, "Sorry, but I'm going. He's my friend too, isn't he?"

"Iris, please, this isn't the time to–"

"Then when is the time?" she asked, not putting up with his protectiveness now. "I'm going, alright? Now let's go, I don't want to waste time by talking about this."

He watched as she walked by and head to the door. "Fine," he agreed, "But you're staying close to me, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until all this is taken care of."

"Noct, I guess that leaves the two of us to stick close to one another as well. Plus, we will be able to cover more ground if we're split up." Ignis nodded to the prince, "Are you sure you looked everywhere around this area?" He wanted to make sure they didn't check the same place twice before looking everywhere.

"I'm pretty sure," he replied, "But, like I said, I found nothing." His voice sounded small as he said that, still upset with himself for coming up with nothing in his search.

"Very well. Gladio and Iris can double check the area then, you and I can look elsewhere. Unless someone has a better plan, then please, speak up."

Gladio shook his head and opened the door, "Sounds good to me, come on." He turned to Iris, letting her walk out first, already keeping a close eye on her before even leaving the room.


	12. Questions

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

All three of them instantly tensed up, none of them knowing how to react to this, but there they were, staring at the gun gripped in Prompto's shaky, yet sure hands. It pointed from one man to another, never staying aimed at one for long before moving to the next, almost as if he were daring any of them to take another step. It was Acerbus that stepped forward first, keeping his hands up so as not to provoke him. He kept going until he was only about a foot away and crouched down until his head was directly in front of the weapon. "Go ahead," he challenged. "Pull the trigger, I know you want to, it's what you were made for, isn't it?" He waited, and still no response form the blond, but he could see the change in his eyes as they lost some of their spite.

"Get back," he warned, tightening his grip. "I really don't want to shoot."

"Then don't," Acerbus said. "No one is making you, you're doing this on your own." He spoke slowly, almost in a condescending tone, "Do it, and you really will be just like them." With that, he could tell he struck a nerve as Prompto's expression faltered and his gun was lowered by an inch. He glanced into the man's eyes one more time before dismissing it and letting his hands fall into his lap. The moment the gun was gone, he was grabbed and pulled forward by his collar, "Pull that shit again, and I'll make sure you can't hold that thing again." He didn't release his hold until he spat directly into Prompto's face and shoved him back.

He remained where he was, staying within distance to make sure that stunt wasn't acted out again. "Rudis," he called out, keeping his eyes forward, "Go get the rope, we can't leave him as free as he is. He's too dangerous for that." Prompto despised that smug grin he had as he said that, as if he just dug his own grave. Which, with how he just reacted, he probably had.

Rudis' footsteps soon died down as he left the room, Prompto found himself constantly glancing over where he disappeared to. He didn't know what else to focus on, nothing seemed particularly better to look at than anything else to him. But, he knew he didn't want to look into Acerbus' face anymore, not when it was staring at him the way it was. Licking his dry lips, he looked past the man and towards the one he supposed was Macto, who had a different expression. His seemed to be a bit more hateful though, and he didn't know which one was worse to him.

"You reckon this is enough?" The one who appeared to be the youngest of the three returned, rope draped over his hand as he handed it over. If Prompto had to guess, he couldn't have been older than seventeen. For a moment, he met the blond's gaze, and he wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he saw a little bit of remorse in those hazel eyes.

Acerbus shrugged, "It should work." He finally stood up and unraveled the rope, letting the other end of it hit the floor. "Alright, I'm sure you know where this is going, or do I have to spell it out for you?" He made a turning motion with his finger, "Come on, move faster." Hesitantly, Prompto complied, but he could feel every muscle in his body tense up with the action.

As he rotated, his wrists were roughly grabbed and pulled behind his back. He couldn't hold back a hiss as the limbs were jerked carelessly before the rope was being tightly tied. Already, he could feel the coarse material rubbing against his skin. He didn't know how many times it was wrapped around, but from the way it felt, he was certain it wasn't coming loose anytime soon. Twisting his hands slightly to test the strength of it, he stopped when his wrists were not agreeing with the motion.

"Macto, you mind taking him to his room? Trust me, he's a slippery one, leave him down here, and he'll make a run for it the first chance he gets." Said man stepped forward and, without warning, gripped the bound rope and jerked it upwards. This forced Prompto to stand with it or risk his shoulders dislocating, and he wasn't too keen on that thought. He didn't even take it slowly so that his tired and lethargic body could keep up well enough, so he tripped and stumbled a few times as they walked. Luckily, or unfortunately, the man's hold on the rope kept him from ever falling down all the way. He took him through the one door Rudis had went through earlier, and from there, he could see about three other rooms and a set of stairs. And, of course, it was the stairs they were headed for.

By the time they reached the top, he felt completely drained, and every part of him just wanted to give up and collapse there for a while, but he knew that wasn't an option. Struggling to catch his breath, he was being pulled once again, never getting the chance to just breathe for a moment. He let out a gasp when he was curtly tugged to the side, into a room he hadn't had the chance to spot yet. He was pushed to the floor where he stayed down and resorted to more or less scooting backwards a bit.

Once he managed to get a couple feet away, Macto was that one who knelt down in front of him, making sure to hold Prompto's attention by placing a hand under his chin, "Now, I don't know what exactly happened between you and my brother back there, but you should know, that isn't going to fly here. You understand, boy?" He nodded the best he could with his head being held like that. "Good. Behave, and this will be much easier." He let go and got to his feet, "Alright, he's all yours, Acerbus. Just try not to kill him, he looks like a fragile one."

"Don't worry, I'm a lot more gentle than you." Prompto felt a small tremor slowly spread through his body as all his alarm bells were going off. He didn't get the same vibes from these guys as he did from Impius, but that didn't prevent him from worrying about it. The larger man saw this and quickly chased those suspicions away, "Calm down, will ya? I'm not some sick fuck like that man you murdered. I merely want to talk, is all. Now, that doesn't sound so bad, does it?" He offered a crooked smile, yet it was anything but genuine.

The blond nodded anyway, still trying to go along with it the best he could, no matter how sick it made him feel. "What do you want to know?" he asked unsteadily, eyes flicking between the two men before finally settling on the former janitor. "Just ask already," he pleaded, tired of waiting, knowing they were only drawing this out longer than necessary to get to him. And it was working.

"Tell me, do you get a thrill from killing others? Does it amuse you, or do you have such feelings?" he asked in that same patronizing tone of his. "Or is it just a reflex, an instinct you can't control?" Prompto set him with a disgusted look, "Now now, I'm asking out of pure curiosity."

He shifted uncomfortably, unsure how he should answer this, he was human after all, the answer should have been obvious to him, "Of course I don't enjoy it," he answered matter-of-factly. "I told you already, I only do it when I have to."

"Tell me, did you 'have' to attack me?" he pressed, expression finally dropping that innocent facade and revealed his bitterness underneath, "Or was it just more convenient for you?"

Prompto's breath hitched at the remembrance, the memory this guy was so keen on reminding him about that he wanted to forget. "N-no, I didn't," he admitted quietly, "I didn't have to lash out like that, I was, I was just afraid." He grew silent, gaze now cast downward.

"Just afraid?" Acerbus questioned in a strained whisper, "Just afraid?!" He raised his voice now, "We were all afraid you cretin!" He reached out with both hands, automatically wrapping around the blond's neck in a vice-like grip. The shock caused the younger to try and kick the man away, but that did no good as he didn't react to the struggles. "Tell me, how does it feel? How does it feel to have someone else nearly strangling you to death?!" Prompto's eyes were wide with terror, and without the use of his hands, there was no way he was able to try and pry his hands away.

"Acerbus," came Macto's warning words, "That's enough." Prompto couldn't see him as his vision slightly blurred, but he could tell he was standing close, "Acerbus!" With that, the grasp was released and he could finally take in the much needed oxygen, but it took a moment for the dizziness to subside enough to see well enough. He tried to take in a deep breath, but ended up choking on it, only assisting in making things worse.

"I apologize, I don't know what got into me," came his insincere justification. "I just lose my patience rather quickly." He wasn't sure, but to him that sounded almost like a threat rather than an excuse. "I'll try to control myself, but no promises. I'm sure you understand how that is."

Prompto said nothing, but only watched him, wincing every time he moved his hands or made a sudden movement. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you tell others, I couldn't risk anyone else finding out." He tried to sound rational, but even to himself, it sounded a bit extreme and barbaric. At the time it felt like the perfect solution, but now. Now he regretted ever thinking about doing that to someone else.

"So, your excuse is you couldn't let others know," he repeated incredulously, letting him know how ridiculous that sounded. "You mean, you didn't want others to know that you were a walking weapon." He reworded the phrase, turning his own words against him. "So you, a creation of destruction of sorts, were afraid of others harming you for what you are. I really hope you can see the irony in that."

He was at a loss of words, how could he even respond to that, each thing he said held some truth behind it and he knew it. There was no arguing with facts, he was something that should not exist naturally. Even with his hands bound, he was able to trace over the code, and his fingers ran over the raised scar that now marred the area. And he knew he wouldn't be in this situation if he had just done away with that cursed mark earlier. He should have gotten rid of it the moment he was free all those years ago. Or maybe Acerbus was right, and there was only one way to really be out of this, but the thought of that terrified him. His head shot up when a snapping sound filled his ears.

His hand lingered in front of his face, still snapping furiously to get his attention, "Hey, eyes up here, I'm not done talking yet." Leaning in further, he whispered in Prompto's ear, "I hope you feel every ounce of turmoil your kind has caused countless others like myself." He leaned back away and patted him on the shoulder in a feigned friendly manner. "Rudis, come here, will you?"

The youngest reluctantly stepped up, there was still a slight timid air about him. "Yes?" he asked after a moment, sounding almost frightened.

"Can you go get some water? I have a feeling we're going to need it." As he walked back out the door, he ripped away Prompto's bandanna and straightened it out. "Tell me, how long can you hold your breath?"

* * *

Gladio could have sworn they checked this same alley about five times already, but he didn't want to just give up on it. He kept checking the same places, hoping that he had simply missed something, or overlooked some obvious detail. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he knew there had to be something. Every time he glanced at Iris, she was searching just as intently as he was, but just like him, she was coming up with nothing. They've only been looking for half an hour, but it seemed like ages, every minute stretching out to an unbearable amount of time.

After coming across the same dumpster for the millionth time, he crouched down next to it and sighed, slamming the side of his fist against it. The sound echoed off the sides of the buildings, causing a bit of complaints from the residents, but he honestly didn't care what they had to say. Unless they knew anything about Prompto, he wasn't listening. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time, eleven-forty three. It's been two hours since he ran out then. He continued to stare at the device, somewhat hoping it would ring and it would be one of the others with some news, but he wasn't that lucky.

There was a light hand resting on his shoulder now, but he didn't turn to face the owner. "We're just not looking in the right places," she tried to comfort, but it fell on hopeless ears. She didn't even sound sincere to herself when she said that, it was just a futile attempt to raise their spirits. "Or we can try looking in a different part of the city," hhe tried again. "It's a pretty big place, so there are a lot of places we haven't looked yet." She removed her hand and moved to stand at his side.

"I know, it's too massive, finding anyone in this place is near impossible. Not to mention enough time has passed. How do we even know he's still around here? Anything could have happened." He was trying to be realistic here, it wasn't ideal to think about, but it was what was on his mind. "For all we know, we're wasting our time by staying here."

Pursing her lips, she linked both hands around his bicep and began tugging upwards. "Well, looking around in other parts is more productive that moping down there. Now get up and keep going," she forced her voice to stay positive and cheerful, for Gladio's sake more than anything. She had to stay cheerful to keep him motivated. "We haven't been looking that long, so you can't give up so easily."

"I'm not 'giving up', just trying not to get my hopes up, is all," he sighed heavily again. "But you're right, no point in sulking, I guess, gotta keep pushing." Glancing at his phone one last time with one last fleeting hope at a call, he stuffed it back into his pocket, "I just hope the others are having better luck than we are."

* * *

Highly contrasting to Gladio, Noctis had been moving non-stop, much to Ignis' chagrin. He wanted to find their gunslinger, of course, but with the rate the prince was going, they could have very easily overlooked any number of clues or details. Not to mention he couldn't keep up with all the warping around he was doing. Every now and then, he impatiently waited for the adviser to catch up, finding standing still to be impossible as he waited. His eyes would dart all over the place, scanning over crowds of people every time he came across them, looking for any familiar faces.

Ignis held up a hand when he finally reached him, to get him to stop for a moment longer while he caught his breath. "Noct, you need to take this a bit slower," he said after a moment. "You can't run around like a madman."

"What do you suggest then, we can't go door to door and ask around. And this place is huge." He waved his hand around, gesturing to all the buildings that were within sight. "We can't take this slow, those bastards are out there, and we don't know who they are, or how many, or what they might do if they get their hands on him." The longer he talked, the louder his volume became, resulting in a few murmurs and stares from passers-by.

"I understand your worry, and trust me, I feel it too. I feel it all too clearly, I fear for him, but rushing around is a sure way to miss things." Unlike Noctis, he kept his tone level and low, hoping it would influence the other's voice as well. "Now, I suggest we backtrack first, look things over more thoroughly before we continue forward." He brushed off the look Noctis gave him, "I don't like having to take a step back either, but it is for the best we do that."

The prince looked around as he thought it over, obviously having an internal argument with himself, weighing the pros and cons and soon settled his gaze back on Ignis. "Alright, if you think it's for the best, then fine," he nodded, running a hand through his hair, frustrated. Ignis went to walk away, but Noct's voice pulled him back, "Do you think, um, do you think he's alright?"

He averted his eyes, not wanting to meet Noctis', and that alone dropped his hope. "Let's not worry about that. Now come on, we need to get going."

He had to blink a few times, his eyes suddenly a little cloudy after Ignis' avoidance of his question. It was a well enough answer for him though, it told him that even Ignis was having his doubts now, the man that was always so calm and collected, was struggling to come to terms with what was happening.


	13. Shimmy Along

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

* * *

Prompto didn't know how to answer, or what to think with that kind of a question. How long could he hold his breath? But, it didn't look as though he were really looking for a reply to that, he seemed just as pleased at seeing the confusion written on his face. Acerbus gave him a knowing smirk before turning his attention to Macto, "You know the drill, make sure he doesn't squirm too much, will ya?" The older didn't reply as he stepped behind Prompto, placing both hands on his shoulders. As soon as he was in place, Rudis returned, carrying a bucket of water and placed it next to the other.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he nervously stuttered out, keeping his gaze fixated on the water. He already had an idea of what was going on, but he didn't want to accept it. Hoping they were somehow thinking of something else, he glanced to the others, silently asking for one of them to give a different answer.

Acerbus didn't say anything right away, but he did point Rudis towards him. The latter walked over to the blond's side, avoiding looking him in the face and grabbed a hold of his head, tilting it back and preventing him from lifting it back up. If he were back to his one-hundred percent self, he was fairly certain he would have been able to put up more of a fight. But after being dragged upstairs and almost choked to death, he wasn't really in fighting condition. "Wait, you don't have to do this," Prompto gave one last attempt to try and talk things out, but he already knew it wasn't going to have any effect.

"Don't worry, this is just a precaution. I won't do a single thing, so long as you answer everything honestly." In other words, as long as he gave answers to his liking, regardless of whether they were the truth or not. "First question, that mark, why do you have that?" He pointed to where his hands were bound, "I've never seen that on a human before, so I'm quite interested."

Prompto bit his lip, keeping his eyes on Acerbus. "I don't know," he replied quietly. "I don't know why I have it, I just do." He watched his face intently, looking for any signs of displeasure. He found reading the man's face to be a challenge in of itself, he couldn't get a grasp of what was on his mind. "Honestly, that's all I can tell you," he added when Acerbus didn't reply or react.

He slowly nodded a couple times, weighing the words. "You're more stubborn than I thought," he looked to the others, who in turn tightened their grasp. Then his bandanna was dipped into the bucket, soaking it through completely before being draped over Prompto's face. Now panic really began to set in, and the only thing he could really think of to do was to kick. That was swiftly put an end to as the other sat himself on his legs, effectively holding them still enough.

"Stop," came Prompto's muffled reply, "Stop this, please, I answered your question." Before anything was done, he was feeling terror flow through him, his breathing picking up, causing him to get light-headed. He couldn't see anything, aside from a bit of light filtering through, but he instantly tried to pull away when he felt the coolness of the water flowing over him. There was no other option than to hold his breath, unless he wanted to inhale any of the liquid. In his state of hysteria, it wasn't long before his body acted on its own and he had to take a breath. He regretted it the moment it happened.

With that, the material was removed, and the hold on him was released, and the first thing he did was curl over on his side as he coughed and tried to spit out any water. Every intake of air burned, yet didn't feel like it was enough. They left him like that until he could finally breathe normally again, but didn't give him any more time than that when he was pushed onto his back once more. "You wanna try answering that again?" Acerbus asked, looking Prompto straight in the eyes, "Or you wanna go through that again?"

The blond let out a few more weak coughs, throat still on fire, "I-I can't tell you much," he croaked out. "I swear, I don't remember that much." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears, but he chalked it up as him just being exhausted, and now barely able to breathe without pain. "Please, I promise, I don't know much."

"Perhaps it would be better to move on to another question then, maybe one you can comprehend better." He reached and over and patted him on the head, Prompto cringing slightly at the touch. "I'm sure you must have some sort of knowledge about your kind, anything really. Anything other than 'I don't remember' or 'I don't know'. Because I'm calling bullshit on all that right now," he looked to Rudis and cocked his head towards the now half empty bucket, who complied, gathering the container and exited. Most likely to refill it. "What are you, exactly?" he asked after a moment, "Are you some fucked up hybrid, or what?"

Prompto took a couple of more greedy breaths, now unsure how long he'd be able to do that. "Technically...kind of," he replied, closing his eyes as he thought about it. What was he, really? He'd never put much thought into it, but it sounded about right to him. He wasn't exactly a full-fledged MT, but he wouldn't consider himself a pure human either. Telling these people anything felt so wrong, a violation of privacy. These were things he's never talked to anyone about, so why should these people hear a word of it?

"Well, I do know one way to know for sure," Acerbus flashed his knife out again, light glinted off the edge as he turned it over.

Prompto fidgeted uneasily. "I told you what I know, alright?" he said desperately, "You're not going to find anything." He was struggling again, pulling on his bonds and trying to shove Acerbus away, but was getting nowhere. The blade inched closer until it traced under his chin, effectively making him cease all movements. Slowly it grazed down to his collar bone, and he hardly permitted himself to move his eyes from the other's hand.

To his relief, the knife was pulled away when the youngest stepped back in. Though he wasn't sure if he was more fond of the water or not. He laughed to himself at the look on the blond's face, finding genuine pleasure in seeing his fear. "You are quite the jumpy one, aren't ya?" Offering a sideways grin, he put his knife away, now that he was satisfied with the reaction it brought forth. "Don't worry, I won't be doing that part yet, not until I get the information I want first that is. Then I couldn't care less what becomes of you."

If it meant they would leave the others out of this, then he was ok with it. "If you ask questions I actually know, then I'll give you what you want," he was doing what he could to take control of the situation, no matter how small the control was. "I can't answer things I don't know."

Acerbus sighed deeply, clearly irritated with his resolve at this point. "Macto, hold him still." The larger of the three nodded, setting two firm hands back on his shoulders, and just like before they repeated the process. This time, however, they didn't stop with the first breath he took, and instead kept it up for a few more seconds. Upon release, Prompto once again curled up on his side, needing a little longer to compose himself this time. He could barely make out the others talking as his ears rang and vision swam. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't fight off the blackness that crept at the edges of his sight. Things were finally catching up, and he couldn't push it away any longer, and soon enough, gave in.

He assumed he wasn't out for very long, since upon opening his eyes, he could vaguely make out someone leaned in close, a light patting on the side of his face. Which was odd. Why was it so gentle, he would have expected more of a slap than a careful tap? He tried to speak, but all that came out was a miserable and croaked groan as he squeezed his eyes shut. As he lied there, trying to gather his bearings, he became aware of the stiff and painful twinges that settled in his shoulders. Then he remembered why that was. He tried to sit up, his body not agreeing to the movement, and he had to remain how he was for a few moments longer.

"How ya holdin' up?" His eyes snapped back open, he had almost forgotten that someone was standing there. It took a few seconds for his vision to clear up enough, but eventually he could make out Rudis, still staring down at him.

"Hmm," he hummed out, not wanting to try and talk again, not with how raw his throat felt. That little bit sufficed in irritating it, bringing on a few light coughs as he tried to alleviate the soreness. He wasn't sure how much more abuse his neck could take before it would just give up completely.

He didn't realize he had closed his eyes again until he heard something being placed next to him. Cracking one eye open, he saw a single glass of water sitting next to him. The mere sight of the liquid made him feel sick, but he couldn't argue with the extreme dryness in his mouth. For a moment he only gazed at it, wondering how this was going to work without the use of his hands.

Noticing his predicament, the other crouched down, "I'm sorry, but I can't untie you or nothin' like that, but if you aren't bothered by it, I could hold it for you." Prompto didn't look very fond of that option either, but he didn't see an easier way; he definitely wasn't going to drink it like an animal, knowing they would love that.

He assisted the blond in sitting up as well, which also struck him as strange. Then came the glass, Rudis holding it up to his lips. There was hesitation in taking a sip, the whole thing felt unnaturally suspicious to him, and he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. "It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinkin'. Acerbus wants ya alive, remember? He wouldn't kill ya off like that." Prompto's mouth formed a thin line at that; he wasn't wrong about that, but it was still sketchy. Nonetheless, he allowed himself to take a few sips, wincing as swallowing brought a bit of discomfort. With a few more, he pulled his head away. "I'm sorry, by the way, for the others."

This piqued Prompto's interest, it was unexpected to say the least. "About?" he asked anyway, though he was sure that was a difficult question to answer.

Rudis glanced back first, making sure the coast was still clear; he didn't want either of his brothers overhearing him, "About how they're treatin' ya. Look, they are both pretty bitter, years of holdin' in their grudges, so I can't blame 'em. I was too young at the time, so I can't relate to it." He paused, making sure Prompto was keeping up. "We kinda lost some people due to Niflheim's force, so they aren't too fond of anything comin' from there."

Prompto could understand that, mainly the reason he kept his own code hidden so long. Many people had animosity towards his origin home, and he couldn't blame them, of course there were those that held Niflheim to near trash status. "So what do...they want me to do about it?" he had to pause to clear his throat. "What am I supposed to do? I'm one person."

"I know. They don't care, as far as they can tell, you're just another cog in the machine. I think they believe they will get some ground-breaking answers as to why the things that happened happened," he tossed another look over his shoulder. "And I shouldn't say this, but they want to go after that girl, they think you'll talk if they bring her into this. I just thought you should know." He got back to his feet and cut his eyes over. Prompto followed that gaze and caught sight of what he was looking at. It was an air vent. "I won't tell the others you're up yet, so whatever you're gonna do, do it fast," he dug into his pocket and pulled out a coin, tossing it to the floor before turning and walking away.

For a moment, Prompto sat there in stunned silence. He glanced down at the coin, then over to the vent. It was a slow process, but he slowly shimmied his way to the coin and put his back to it. Grabbing hold of it was far harder than he expected to be, and once he had it, he made sure he had a tight grasp on it. And that was only the easy part. Actually getting the screws off was another task in itself, and he couldn't help but be doubtful about his success in that.

Keeping his gaze on the door, he backed up until he was up against the wall, and it probably took him a good minute just to get the coin placed into the groove of the screw. Slowly, as to make sure nothing slipped, he began turning it, each turn causing the rope to grate against his wrists. He nearly vocalized his joy when he felt the first one fall away; one down, three to go. Now that he had a hand of it, the second one came away faster, but the last two would be the most difficult, being higher off the floor. Using his legs, he managed to push himself up it slightly, high enough to reach with some effort.

On the first twist, he let out a soft curse as he felt something slick run down his fingers, causing him to drop the piece of metal. Frantically, he dropped back down and felt around for it, fingers eventually brushing over it. Getting a solid grasp on it was a lot more challenging this time around, but he dealt with what he could and went back to escaping to the best of his ability. It took far longer than he would have liked, but soon enough the third fell to the floor with a slight ting. Feeling his heart race with adrenaline, the fourth one somehow became the easiest to remove. And with that, the cover fell away as well.

Turning to face it, his hope dropped quickly. It was a way out, for sure, but he couldn't stifle a small whine at seeing how narrow it was. He could fit, no problem, but it wouldn't give him much space to move around. He knew he didn't have any other options, and so he sucked it up. Surely he could push his phobias aside for a short while, well he had to. He lied himself flat, and as ridiculous as it felt, began inching along until he was fully inside. The effects were almost immediate, the increased heart rate, the sweating, and the uncontrolled quick breathing.

'Come on,' he thought to himself, 'You can't do this now, freak out later.' He put his face down and closed his eyes and began counting, trying to focus on something other than the fact he could move easily. I took a couple minutes, but he calmed down enough to keep going further at least. Just like earlier, he found inching along was about the only way this was going to work, using his legs to push himself along. After a few feet, he came across his first bend, and he could already tell this wasn't going to be easy. Reaching it, he looked down the length of it, feeling nauseous at how long it seemed to go one. Though, to be fair, it probably wasn't as far as his brain made it appear.

He took the turn slowly, taking it fast would have only frustrated him and most likely induce a panic attack. And, of course, having one of those now would be the worst case scenario. To his surprise, it went way smoother than he would have expected, though he was still highly uncomfortable with his position. Squirming a few more feet, he became still when he heard voices beneath him. Looking ahead, there was another vent opening, and he made his way over, moving much slower than he had been. He only went far enough to peer down.

All three of them were there, sitting at a table. They seemed to be discussing something, but they were talking too quietly for him to hear, but he could pick up words here and there. From what he could tell, they were discussing what kind of a threat he was, or how dangerous it was to keep him so close by, and he felt a little hurt knowing that these people still feared him to a degree. The longer he listened, the more he realized he was wasting time, and it wouldn't be long before they went to check on him. With this in mind, he moved on, making sure to be extra cautious with them so close.

Shimmying along, his foot slipped with one of the pushes, and he cringed both inwardly and outwardly at the sound that echoed around him. Prompto felt like his heart had stopped, and his mind raced as the "Did you hear something?" reached his ears.

* * *

 **Also, the two of you that review every chapter, you're the real MVP. lolololol**


	14. Run For Your Life

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **And please, I do want to improve my writing, and I know there are far superior writers out there, so please, I welcome you guys to point anything that could use improvement.**

* * *

Prompto found himself unable to move, stricken with panic and terror. His breath became non-existent as he held his breath and tensed up his whole body to keep himself from making anymore movements. He even resorted to biting his lip to prevent any unwarranted sound from escaping. Cursing himself for making such a stupid mistake, he slowly lowered his head until his forehead was touching cold metal. 'Please.' He mouthed the word to himself, praying they would just let it go, and think it was nothing.

"Quiet," he heard one of them speak up, followed by dead silence. The only thing he could hear was his own rapid and shallow breathing. They may not have been able to hear it, but it was deafening to him. There were footsteps shuffling around beneath him, they sounded purposeful and steady, and they stopped directly underneath him. All the commotion grew quiet, so much so that the quick and jarring thud that was thrown right below where he was almost caused him to gasp in surprise. Now more than ever, he wished he had his hands, to cover his mouth if nothing else.

He could feel his heart about to explode as it thumped against his chest, and he was shocked they couldn't hear that. Not to mention how much sweat he felt running down his face, he thought he was hot before, but now, now it was almost too much. The longer he lied there, the harder it was to tolerate, and the more suffocation threatened him. After so long, he was afraid he might faint from anticipation, but that crumbled away when the footsteps finally began to leave where he was. Reluctantly, he breathed out slowly, trying to take steady and deep breaths from there to attempt to convince his body to calm down.

For a moment, he only listened, not trusting himself to move yet, still feeling like the slightest movement could alert them to him. And, for a split second, he wondered if he would be stuck in this confined death trap for the remainder of his life; it would be one hell of a way to go, he had to admit. Coming to the conclusion that he couldn't very well stay there for eternity, he made the decision to push himself forward one. Then he stopped, waiting to see if there was a reaction. Nothing. Again, he inched forward and paused.

"Rudis, you sure he's still out?" came Acerbus' questioning voice, sounding highly suspicious with an edge to it.

A second of quiet, "Yeah, I told ya, didn't move an inch." Even Prompto could hear the lie in his words, and held his breath as he turned his head to hear the response that was about to come easier.

"Macto," he called evenly, "Maybe we need a second pair of eyes to make sure." From where he was, Prompto could tell he was enjoying the criticism he was portraying. And just like that, his pulse was trying to destroy him from the inside out. With newfound resolve, he kept pressing forward, moving as fast as he could while still being as silent as was allowed. Even when he heard shouts of displeasure and anger, he didn't hesitate, he now had one goal. Throwing all the ideas of getting out unnoticed, he threw stealth away and just went.

And, much sooner than he had first foreseen, he reached the end, and in front of him was another vent cover. The sight of it washed over him with dread and defeat. 'No, no, no,' he whispered to himself, still making his way to it. As he approached it, he nudged it with his head, that being the only thing he could do. He almost exclaimed his shock when it easily fell away. Either it was already broken, or someone else had loosened the screws, either way, he was thankful.

Inching forward, he looked over the edge, and until then, he almost forgot he was basically wiggling above the ceiling, which meant this wasn't going to be a fun exit. He leaned slightly over the edge, and the vertigo that hit him was almost enough to overshadow his need to get out, but not quite. With another shout from one of the guys, he scooted far enough where he was barely staying up. And, with one final inch, he felt himself tilt downwards as his body reacted to the sensation of falling, hands naturally trying to go in front of him to break his fall. He knew he hit the floor when the wind was knocked out of him, but he tried to ignore it and struggled to right himself.

He only wished that he could take a moment to at least breathe, but the shouts and heavy footfalls that were now quickly approaching after the commotion he had caused was motivation enough to get up. Disregarding the way the room was slanting slightly, he stumbled towards the first door he saw. He didn't know where it led to, but what he did know was that it was away from them, and that's all he cared about. Turning his back to it, he struggled to grip the handle enough to turn it, and as it swung open, there came Acerbus himself, coming into the room from another entrance. "I don't think you realize how bad you just fucked yourself!" he shouted as he tripped over his own feet trying to rush over to the blond, who was now squeezing through the slightly ajar door. "When I catch you, I'm breaking your damn legs!"

Prompto didn't look back, he didn't want to know how close he was behind him, but he had no choice but to stop. 'Right,' he thought to himself, 'second floor.' He was painfully reminded of that when he noticed he was standing on a balcony, a railing being the only thing separating him from freedom.

"Why don't you get your ass back in here," Acerbus said rather calmly for someone who just promised to cripple him, "Come on now, it's better for everyone if you do this the easy way." Swallowing the lump in his throat, he glanced from him to the railing, and his mind was made up. He rushed over and managed to get one leg over, about to swing the other over as well. His efforts were interrupted as a hand clamped around his leg mid-swing. "Hard way it is then," Acerbus smiled as he held on, preventing Prompto from going anywhere. In moment of panic and desperation, he kicked as hard as he could, earning himself a satisfying 'crunch' and a cry of pain.

That did it, that was what it took for his grasp to momentarily loosen, and enough for the blond to rip his limb free. But, the force of the kick threw his balance off, and without the ability to catch on to anything, he felt himself plunging down again, this time, however, was much more terrifying to him. The last thing he needed was to hit his head and get a concussion, so he swiftly tried to turn his body before he landed. It wasn't a very high fall, so he didn't have much time, but it was enough to land on his feet. Through the disorientation and unexpected fall, he didn't get the chance to brace himself and had to attempt to roll into it. Despite his best efforts, there was still a small jolt of pain shooting up his left leg, starting from his ankle.

It wouldn't be long before they would be after him, so he went against his better judgement, and forced himself to his feet, the weight almost causing his leg to buckle. Shaking his head, clearing it of any other thoughts, he began sprinting, well it was more of a hurried and ungraceful jog. Each step brought on fiery throbs, but he could still walk at least, albeit very awkwardly. Yelling and curses were soon drowned out by the pulsing blood that rushed through his ears, and he could no longer tell where he was, or how far he was, but he didn't risk stopping to find out.

* * *

Gladio and Iris had been at it for what had to be hours now, as it was well into the night, and they were sure any moment and the sun would be coming up. Their gunner had been gone nearly all night, and it wasn't sitting well with any of them. Every time his phone went off, he felt a twinge of hope, but it was quickly dissipated when it was only them asking if he had any news. Glancing over to Iris, he could see her once optimistic gaze dimming into devastation. Now, even she was beginning to believe all this was pointless, which in turn lowered his own spirits. "Hey," he got her attention, "You said you guys ran into someone that night, right?" She nodded in approval, "Mind showing me the way? It might be better to look around that area."

She timidly nodded, "Yeah, if you think it'll help." She walked past him and allowed a hand to rub over his shoulder in a supportive way, though it lacked its usual perkiness that it usually held.

"Also," he added as he followed close behind, "Try not to get too down about this, he's been through worse, ya know. I'm sure this is nothing to him." Iris didn't reply right away, but offered a quiet 'yeah', sounding as though she didn't believe that herself. "I'm serious," he kept on, anything to lift her mood, "Even after all that happened back there, he still kept it together fairly well. Sure he had a few hiccups here and there, and over there, but still."

Her pace slowed a small amount as she listened, "Yeah, but he had someone with him. He had Ignis to help him keep it together, but who does he have now? He's out there alone." He flinched at the sob that cracked through at the end of her sentence. "There isn't anyone out there with him to let him know things will be alright. I mean, did you see the look on his face when he left? He looked betrayed, and he left thinking we were all mad at him. Probably thinking you hate him now."

She wasn't facing him, but from the small tremors that ran through her body, he could tell she was doing everything she could not to show how upset she was. The occasional whimper gave way to that though, and he didn't need to see her face to know she was barely keeping it together herself. Knowing there wasn't much that could be said to make her feel any different, he stepped closer, and wrapped his arms around her. With the contact, she turned and leaned into the embrace, letting the comfort take some of the sorrow away, even if for just a minute. "Look, we'll find him, alright. And when we do, I'll make sure he knows that we all care, and that I don't hate him. But first, we have to track him down."

He felt her head move slightly against his shoulder, and with a soft smile, she pulled away, wiping the back of her hand over her eyes. "You're right. We can't waste time feeling sorry." That seemed to re-kindle the light in her for the time being. "That night, it wasn't too far from here, so we should be there within a few minutes."

The rest of the way they traveled in silence, but this time it was more of a comfortable silence. She soon slowed to a stop as she recognized the surrounding, the restaurant they visited was now just within sight. "It was that way," she pointed in the direction of the alley they took. "We took the back ways because there were less crowds to deal with."

"Got it," Gladio replied, grabbing her hand as he took the lead from there, moving at a normal speed to make sure he didn't accidentally drag her along, even though he desperately wanted to sprint. "Keep an eye out, but try to look casual, just to be safe," he instructed, on the off chance they were being watched. He kept his eyes glued to the street as it grew closer and they got further away from wandering citizens, pausing as he stood before it. Throwing a glance back at Iris, he gave a light squeeze to her hand before turning back and stepping in. Any other time, this would be nothing, but given the circumstance, it was unnerving and almost surreal.

Iris, out of know where, skipped forward, fast enough where Gladio couldn't react in time and she slipped out of his grasp. "Hey," he called after her, "Where are you going?" He followed suit, staying close behind.

"It was right here," she said once she reached the turn, "This is the spot they ran into each other, and where he lost his phone." She gazed down at the exact spot she remembered it being. "I don't know if we can get anything from that, but-" She ceased, now fully alert as shouts and yells echoed down another alley and filtering into the one they were in.

"What the hell is that?" Gladio asked, already walking towards the source, showing no signs of fear or hesitation. He stopped partially way down, squinting his eyes as he picked up movement. "Hello?" he called down to them, but there was no reply, they didn't even seem to be paying him any attention, so he decided to start making his was towards them instead. Once he was closer, he could make out a few features, one in particular sticking out to him. I little hint of yellow sticking out on the top. "Prompto?" he kept his voice low, low enough for neither of the others to hear. From the way he was moving, something was definitely off, it didn't look natural.

He could easily make out the stumbles and limping now that he was close enough, but he was keeping his focus down on the ground, watching his own feet intently. As he drew closer, he showed no signs of slowing down, "Hey," he tried again. Prompto looked up just in time to veer to the right before running into the larger man, but he never seemed to really look at him. The sudden turn seemed to throw him off, and he started leaning too much to one side, so Gladio did what he had to and grabbed onto him before he could fall.

It was like catching a wild animal; he thrashed and tried to slip out of his grasp, something other than him driving him to get loose, "Hey," Gladio tried again, "Calm down, you're alright." That didn't seem to help any, he wasn't listening to him.

"Prom," Iris finally made her way over and spoke softly, "Prompto, please, we've got you now, you can relax." At the sound of a more feminine voice, he visibly slumped slightly, now seeming to really look at the others.

"Iris?" he asked, near breathlessly, "Gladdy? W-we have to go, you have to get out of here." He directed at Iris. "Please, Gladio, you have to get her away, they want her, they want to use her against me; you can't let them." His voice was cracking all over the place, the extensive use of it severely irritating it. He tried to struggle away a little bit more, but with the way he was barely standing, even with the larger holding on, that wasn't going to happen.

He gave the blond a quick glance over, noting how he was avoiding putting weight on his left leg, but he knew it couldn't be too bad, considering he was just walking on it. And as he moved up, there was one thing that caused his blood to boil, and he wasn't sure why he didn't notice sooner. His arms were bound behind his back, wrists rubbed raw from the rope digging into them. "Ok, settle down," Gladio spoke softly, "First let me get these off, then you can explain everything."

Prompto twisted his body to keep the other from touching anything, "We don't have time, they're chasing after me, we have to go. Now." He didn't pause for breath, trying to throw it all out there.

Gladio looked back down the alley the gunslinger had come from, and saw no one. He repeated with the other directions, coming up with the same results, "There's no one around," he reassured, "Now, let me remove these." He reached for them again, and just like before, he tried to keep the larger from touching it, which he found slightly confusing, until he remembered the talk Ignis had with them. "Oh," he said, remembering, "You don't need to worry about hiding anything." Prompto's gaze snapped up to meet his.

"W-what do you mean?" he asked, stuttering.

Gladio sighed heavily, "We know everything, Ignis explained everything, and we don't care alright? There are more important things to worry about right now, so let me untie you."

He looked almost emotionless, but there was a hint of hurt in his eyes, "H-he told you?" His voice was lower than usual, and they could hear just how betrayed he felt, "So, you know about..." He didn't finish, couldn't say what he was thinking.

"Yes, he did, so you can chew him out later, ok?" He was done talking for now, and set to work undoing the knots, having a lot more difficulty that he thought he would. They were tied unbelievably tight, but soon enough, they fell to the ground and Prompto hissed in pain as his shoulders rolled forward. He brought his hands in front of him to rub the soreness from his wrists, but one touch told him that was a bad idea. So much dried blood covered them, and a bit of fresh. Both were even tracing down his fingers.

He was caught off guard as there were arms thrown around him, nearly knocking him over, "I'm so glad you're alright," he heard Iris say next to his ear. "Well, mostly ok," she corrected, backing away when she was aware of how much that small interaction effected him.

"Oh!" Gladio exclaimed, taking out his phone, "I should probably let the others know." He sent a quick message, not wanting to take the time to actually call and be asked a million questions. "Done, now let's go," he didn't even ask before he scooped Prompto up, no way he was going to let him walk, support or not, it wasn't happening. "Iris, stay close," he reminded, heading back out to the main alley. "I think maybe we should take the long way and not the back ways," he decided, the thought of staying in this area any longer sending chills down his spine.

* * *

 **Also, I want to know, I do plan to add a little bit of Iris x Prompto in this, but if I do, it will merely be hinted at, so even if you don't like that pairing, then he can easily overlook it and see it as pure friendship. But, please let me know if you don't want that.**

 **And the guest the commented, I try to update almost every day, so no worries there. C:**


	15. Blood Lust

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Enjoy the niceness while you can, because this is taking a very dark turn soon, in about 2 chapters that is.**

* * *

Prompto didn't put up any resistance to being carried, he didn't care too much anymore. If it meant they could move faster and get as far from these psychos as possible, then he would have to be ok with it. Every now and then, he felt more than saw how Gladio's eyes scanned over him, never landing in one place as they looked over him as a whole. Iris walked next to them, mostly keeping her eyes forward, occasionally she would glance over. He assumed things may have just been a bit awkward since they knew certain things about him now; things he really didn't want them to know. He took a deep breath, choking slightly on it, "Guess I was kinda stupid for running off back there, huh?" he laughed nervously.

He felt Gladio's arms tense minutely, his lips pressing together as he finally met sky eyes, "Yeah, it kinda was." Shrugging as much as he was able to, he continued, "But, to be fair, you were backed into a corner in a sense." The tone sounded relatively small for someone like him. It didn't sound right to the blond. "I probably would have done the same in that situation," he cleared his throat and cut his eyes away.

There was no response, but there was a small nod of acknowledgement as he shuddered when they stepped out, allowing the breeze to now reach them. Unconsciously, he pressed himself closer to the larger man, seeking the warmth that was available. As he did this, Gladio's face took on a questioning expression, there was a slight dampness that he could feel against his bare chest. That made no sense, it hadn't rained or anything recently, so why? "Uh, Prom?"

"Hmm?" he asked, keeping his head buried in the man's shoulder.

He thought for a moment, on how to ask without sounding too weird, "Why are your clothes wet?"

There was an extended moment of tense caution, the younger growing still at the inquiry. "Water can be a bit, um, tricky with no hands," he tripped and stuttered over his own lie, making it painfully obvious that it was fabricated. His eyes dropped down, knowing just how transparent he really was.

"Did you spill it on your back too?" he asked incredulously, now very aware of the moisture that lingered there as well. "What did they do? And I want the truth," his tone was strong and unwavering, almost demanding as it crushed down on Prompto's small form.

The blond shifted troublesomely, relaying that moment was clearly a displeasing thing to do. One hand drifted up to where his bandanna once was and he squeezed the area lightly, "They..." he breathed out heavily, "They poured water...over my face." He looked back up to meet Gladio's eyes before flicking them over to Iris, choosing to leave out the part about him passing out from it. The shield had to struggle to keep his own anger in check, the notion of someone actually waterboarding the blond almost pushing him over the edge.

"Anything else?" He knew he shouldn't have asked with how furious he was after that first admission, "Did they do anything else?" There was a tautness to his voice, like it was on the verge of snapping.

The other quickly shook his head, "No, nothing else...just asked me a few things." Closing his eyes, he laid his head back against the Gladio, feeling worn out and wanting to let sleep take over. "Is everyone else alright?" he asked after a moment, wanting to get an answer to that while he was still awake.

"Yeah, everyone's fine," Gladio replied instantly, "Ignis is a little on the frazzled side, but other than that, I think he'll live." He slowed to a stop as he reached the door to their hotel, the trip back had gone by much quicker than he had anticipated it would have. "Hope you're ready for him to start fussing over you, because you know it's coming," he attempted at a bit of small humor, lightening the mood a bit.

Prompto opened his eyes partially to gaze up at him, "I know, nothing to do about it though." It sounded as though he had already accepted his fate, and he was prepared for the worst the adviser had to offer, lecture and all.

Iris stepped in front of them, pushing the door open wide enough for them to pass through with ease. They were greeted with two sets of rushing footsteps, the more purposeful ones reaching them first as Ignis was quick to approach and take in the visible condition of their gunslinger. "Thank the gods," he muttered under his breath after seeing there were no severe injuries that he could see. There was bruising, of course, but none of that looked too bad. "How was he when you found him?" he turned his attention to Gladio.

"Relatively fine, other than the fact that he was limping." he remembered the odd way he had ran up to them.

In his arms, Prompto squirmed weakly trying to turn far enough to be a part of the conversation. "I'm right here, you know?" he reminded, offensively. "Also, I'm capable of speech, in case you forgot." Once more, he tried to get down, but Gladio wasn't having it and never loosened his hold. "Do you plan on holding me all night?"

"If it means you won't be going anywhere, then yes," he joked, but there was a hint of seriousness to that statement. He caught the look the blond gave him, "Alright, alright, just don't kill over when I put you down." Carefully, he lowered him until he could stand, and kept a hand on his shoulder until he was balanced enough to stay upright. "Maybe you should actually just sit," he mentioned, seeing as he was still mostly staying on one foot. It didn't take long for him to take that advice and take a seat at the table, letting his head lean back a little.

Ignis' eyes ran over him, landing on the bruising on his neck, the sight looking all too familiar to him. He stepped over and took the chair next to him, keeping his feet on the floor as he patted his lap. The subtle noise got the other's attention, "Leg, I need to take a look at it." He knew better than to argue with the man by now, too many times has it not gone in his favor, so carefully, he lifted his foot and Ignis gently took it in his hands. "This might cause a bit of pain," he warned, taking his boot in both hands and, as slowly and tenderly as he could, slid it off. Prompto winced at the burning it brought on, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Expert hands ran over the limb until the finally brushed over a particularly swollen area, causing the patient to flinch at the touch. He inspected the bruising closely, rotating the joint cautiously in his hands, "Well, it's not broken at least," he announced with satisfaction. "Sprained, most likely. Nothing too serious, but you should still be careful. But, I can't help but be curious, how did that happen?"

Prompto cleared his throat, the dryness coming back full force now, "I, uh, I kinda fell...off a balcony." Keeping his eyes down, he looked to his hands in his lap, "I didn't have any other choice."

"And your wrists?"

"Rope," he ran his thumbs over the raw areas, "Tied them up because I was too 'dangerous.'" The word was almost spat, the thought of people seeing him as a real threat still fresh and sore. "But," he said lower, "I did draw my gun on them, so maybe I was dangerous."

"You should have just shot the bastards," came Noctis' biting tone, "Should have just ended them while you had the chance. So, why didn't you?"

"That's something I'd like to know as well?" Gladio backed up, "These guys threatened you and people you care about. Tormented you and harassed you, so why not?"

He felt the gaze of them all resting on him, all of them waiting for a clear and reasonable answer. "If I had done it, if I had shot them, I'd be no different, would I? I would be no better than those killing machines. When I aimed at them, it was out of instinct, not my own free will. I just did it without thinking. And, that's not how I want to handle things." As he spoke, his voice grew more scratchy, needing to be cleared a few times.

Iris was already at the sink, getting a glass of water as Noctis replied, "Doesn't mean they wouldn't have deserved it. If you did shoot them, it would have been because they were asking for it."

"I hate to agree with that mentality, but these aren't normal people, Prompto," Ignis tried to console the younger, "If they aren't dealt with, they won't stop. That's the type of people they are, and it's nothing more than a speeding train that's bound to fly off the tracks at one point or another. When that happens, others may be hurt due to it." He looked to Prompto's hands, which were now gripping at the material of his pants, knuckles turning white, "Though, you're a caring person, so I can see why you didn't want to carry through with it."

Seeing that he was done talking for the time being, the glass of water was placed on the table in front of him. He nodded his thanks, taking the glass in a trembling hand, "Not all of them deserved it." Placing the other hand around the glass, he brought it up to take a sip, finding even that to be tiring. It didn't help that there was still that lingering grogginess. It had ebbed away a decent amount, but it was still there. He swiftly put the water back down in order to rest his head in his arms on the table.

"Everything alright?" Ignis asked, his concern rising again.

He could see a movement of his head, "Yeah, just really tired now. I don't know why, but I've been a bit...sluggish, I guess you could say."

Luckily, he never lifted his gaze, so he missed the flash of realization on Ignis' face. Because of what he did, he couldn't fathom how much more difficult dealing with what he did must have been. And he knew that was just something else he would have to deal with in the near future; he didn't think he could live with himself if he were to keep that secret. "I think you should take a potion, and go to sleep," he got to his feet to fetch said vial.

"It's fine," Prompto finally looked his way, "I don't need one this time." Pushing himself up unsteadily, he hobbled over to the bed, shying away from any offers of support, and sat down at the edge of it.

Noctis stood in front of him, crossing his arms as he took on an almost Ignis-like demeanor, "I really think you should use one. They don't cost that much, so it's not a big deal."

"It is when I've already used two in the last couple of days, and I don't need to remind you, one of those times was solely my own fault," his eyes cut over to the bathroom, door still slightly ajar as it was unable to close completely now.

The prince's expression didn't change and he stood strong where he was, "Take one, or I'm throwing it at your head while you're asleep." He stared down at the blond, taking on a posture of intimidation, letting the other know there wasn't much of a choice in the matter. It was four against one, so the odds were against him in this one. As if he were in on it, Ignis handed the vial over to Noctis, who in turn, handed the thing over to Prompto. The latter held it as firmly as he could without breaking it.

"I swear, you guys are the worst sometimes," he still tried to complain, but deep down if felt nice to have people actually care enough to make this big of a deal over such minor afflictions. But, he never knew how to let them know how much he truly appreciated their at times overbearing nature. With a little bit of added pressure, he crushed the potion, feeling the effects of it instantly. Once the glow and warm sensation passed, he tested out his ankle, rotating it side to side. There was still some uncomfortable stiffness to it, but he felt as though he could walk relatively easy now.

Now that that was taken care of, Noctis relaxed, unfolding his arms and took a seat on the other side of the bed. He decided to take that spot to allow Prompto room to lie down when he was ready to. "When you wake up, I hope you're ready to explain everything that happened," it wasn't harsh, but it was authoritative in a sense. "But, we won't force you to say anything until after you've had time to rest this time," he set Gladio with a look as he said that last part.

"Yeah, I'll tell you guys everything then, not that you don't already know almost all there is to know anyway," he said with a degree of bitterness. The comment stung Ignis a little, but he was aware he deserved every bit of animosity from the blond, especially after telling the others something so personal and controversial. "And, I promise, the whole truth." Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he lowered himself down and, for once, really was grateful for the luxury of an actual bed. Well, the one time aside from after getting out of the mines of course. He pulled the covers up over his head, completely shutting everything else out and, even though he was back, had a hard time falling asleep. Eventually though, it did claim him.

Gladio waited until he was one-hundred percent certain he was asleep, "Do you really think it's a good idea to wait before we go after them? Shouldn't we take care of them while we know their still here?" He was still on his feet, gesture towards the door as he spoke. "They could be gone by tomorrow."

"I doubt that," Ignis sounded sure about that, "You saw the messages, they are dead set on him. Even if they were to wander, they would come back. They don't appear to be the kind to allow someone to escape and get off the hook." As true as that was, saying it was highly disturbing. It was accepting that they most likely wouldn't stop until either they were dead, or Prompto was.

"He did say that they were coming after him," Iris offered. The others had almost forgotten she was there, having fallen so quiet still, "So, I think Ignis is right on this one. And if Prompto's reaction was anything to go by, then I can't imagine what kind of things were done while they had him."

That triggered Gladio's memory to the dampness of his clothes, and the croakiness of his voice, "I'm almost positive they waterboarded him." He kept his words controlled and even, "His clothes are still wet, and he even told me they poured water over his face when I asked him about it."

"What?" Noctis was back on his feet, that news being a bit shocking.

Gladio merely nodded, "That's all he told me about it, but I didn't need to hear anything other than that. I know enough about interrogation techniques to figure that much out." He leaned against the counter, "There's no telling what else they could have done, or said."

"Guess we'll just have to wait for that," Ignis glanced over to the blond.

"Yeah," Noctis started, pacing over to join them at the table, "Or we can go over there right now and beat it out of them."

There was a grunt of agreement from the larger man, "I second that." He pushed his chair back, stretching as he stood out. He hadn't realized how rigid his muscles had gotten from all the stress they've had to go through, "Any coffee made? Not exactly a huge fan of it, but I could really use some right about now. Either that or something with a bit more kick to it."

"Yes, I made some earlier," Ignis pointed over with his thumb, "Might be a little chilled by now, but it can be warmed in the microwave." He would have just made a fresh pot under any other circumstance, but he felt far too worn out for that, both physically and mentally. The others could easily see the dark circles that have made their way under his eyes.

"Ignis, go to sleep," Iris tried to instruct, softly and out of her own concern, "We've got it from here, nothing's going to happen. Not now." She gave him a kind smile, one hand finding its way to his upper arm as she began guiding him out of his chair. "And I promise, we will wake you if anything happens."

Gladio's own lips curled up at the corners, "You may as well hang it up, she's just as stubborn as I am." He poured the black beverage into a mug, leaving it as was in its purest form and took a large mouthful of its calming bliss, "Tomorrow, we do plan on bringing this to an end, don't we? So take your own advice and get some rest before the battle. Which will probably end up being a one-sided massacre."

"'A one-sided massacre,' huh?" Ignis repeated, "For once, I think I have to side with you on this barbaric mentality of yours." There was an unusual blood lust draped over his words, something they didn't hear from him too often, but when they did, it was never a joyous time for those that had enticed that side of him.


	16. A Plan Forms

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Alright, this is the chapter before things go to hell. The next one will be a but shorter than the others, just for the sake of the cliffhanger.**

 **Also, I know the start of this may sound hella gay, which I won't stop anyone from seeing it that way, but I do mean it in a platonic sort of way, but you can see it however you like. You do you. ;3**

* * *

As he lied there, for what he assumed to be hours, his mind wandered to what he could or should have done to prevent these things from happening, and though he knew he couldn't blame himself for it, there was still an inkling that he could have done more. The various noises of the other three keeping themselves busy filled his ears, and somewhere deep under that was Prompto's own soft breathing from behind him. That was a comforting sound, it meant that he was back and safe, or for the time being that is. But, who's to say that wouldn't change the moment he allowed himself to succumb to sleep. Anything could happen while he was out, and he lied there, wondering if a few hours of rest was worth that risk.

He tried to convince himself to trust the others more, knew he could, but why was it so damn hard to hand over that responsibility for just a moment? 'You're being too paranoid,' he told himself, closing his eyes more tightly, doing what he could to block out all his worrying thoughts. Frustrated after a couple of minutes with no results, he rolled back over until he was facing the blond, who was still hidden under the covers. Still, the lump being within sight assisted to lift some of that concern from his shoulders.

His eyes were finally shut in a relaxed manner, but there was a slight shift next to him. It was a small one at first, but it gradually increased and it took him a moment to realize the other had scooted closer to him. He cracked an eye open, vision now obscured by light gold, close enough that he could pick up the scent. His gaze drifted down, landing on Prompto's face which was now an inch away from his chest. Taking a deep and comfortable breath, he let his eyelid slide back down, finding the same contentment that the younger found in his presence. The sensation and familiarity of the weight next to him was more than inviting to give in to his exhaustion.

* * *

Prompto was greeted with the subtle brushing of his hair as he groggily came to, trying to gather up the will to wake up fully. His tongue ran over his lips, reminding him how dry everything felt and, despite wanting to stay where he was, he was desperate for something to quench that irritating thirst. Waking up a bit more, he came to find out the light breeze he was feeling was breathing. His curiosity teased, he glanced up, coming across the face of Ignis practically in his hair. That's right, he was back here, the memories from the previous night had become encased in a haze, almost like it was some horrible dream, or something that occurred years ago. He couldn't even remember the moment he went to sleep.

Seeing as Ignis was actually sleeping peacefully for once, he debated whether he should get up or not. He decided on the latter, wouldn't want to disturb the man while he was finally getting what he desperately needed. Instead he soaked it all in, enjoyed tranquil environment while he was able to. For about a minute he focused on the consistent puffs of air that ruffled over his hair, and he had to admit, it was kind of nice. Unconsciously, he molded into it, pushing himself farther over, but doing so with caution.

He must have drifted off again, because when he opened his eyes again, the warmth next to him was no longer there. It was just him, lying there in relative silence, aside from the subdued voices flowing in from the other room. He stretched as far as the confinement of the covers would permit and willed both eyes open, scanning them over the area in front of him. Toasty and radiant rays filtered in through any openings, telling up it was either late in the morning or early in the afternoon.

"Glad to see you finally awake." The words came from his right, and were far too cheery to belong to any of the guys, not to mention it was far too feminine. "How are you feeling?"

He fumbled with his arms, trying to free them from their prison that was the blankets. After the short struggle, he had his limbs underneath him, pushing himself up until he was leaning against the back of the headboard. His scrutiny followed over to the source, falling on Iris who sat in one of the chairs. "Hey," he addressed, nodding in her direction. His voice came out quiet and rough from the lack of use over the last hours. He brought his hands up to rub some of the fogginess from his eyes, wincing slightly at the rigidness in his wrists and shoulders. Now that he paid attention, everything felt stiff and sore. Pulling them away, he looked down to them, taking in the still red marks which encircled them, and he could almost still feel the coarseness as he stared.

She got to her feet as he spoke. "Here, I'll get you something to drink," she offered with a welcoming smile. Her light footsteps easily disappeared around the corner, blending seamlessly into the conversation the others were having. He was reminded of that, the discussion they were having, and he became curious as to just what it was about. Gripping the edge of the white material covering him, he peeled it back and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. Pushing himself up, he made the mistake of putting all his weight equally onto both feet, the left one giving out in protest. Luckily, he was able to catch himself on the wall before he had a chance to fall.

"Everything alright in there?" came the sound of Ignis' concerned words, and Prompto realized he must have gasped or something that alerted the others.

"A-ok," he called back, voice slightly higher from his near fall. Carefully this time, he gradually added weight to his left foot, which tolerated the use this time around. The joint was still fairly sensitive, but he could walk with ease this time around. Each step he took was placed with thought, taking him a good while before he was able to round the corner and face the others. "What's going on?" he asked, tone laced with skepticism. Whenever they talked quietly lately it seemed to be about him.

They all ceased at the question, but it was Ignis who spoke up, "Prompto, we are going to need you to tell us where they kept you at." The blond stared at him, trying to recall the events clearly from last night. It's not that he forgot any of it, he remembered everything, how could he forget, but it seemed as though a lot of minor details were absent. "Gladio filled us in on where they found you, but it doesn't quite explain where exactly you came from."

"Yeah," the younger replied, taking the seat next to the adviser, "I just need to think about it." The fact that he couldn't remember everything as vividly as he should have frightened him, and he wondered what else it was he could have forgotten.

Ignis glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, taking a sip from his cup, "Are your injuries faring well?"

The other nodded, folding his arms on the table, "Yeah, a little stiff, but other than that, they're fine." He flexed both wrists experimentally, most of the soreness fleeting now that he's had the opportunity to stretch them out. Using his left hand, he rubbed over the right, that one being the sorer of the two. He jumped slightly as a glass was stuck out before his face, the liquid swishing subtly around the container. "Thanks," he offered her, wrapping his fingers around the cool glass, watching it until it settled.

"Prompto," Gladio's firm voice cut through his thoughts, "You need to talk. The sooner you tell us what we need to know, the sooner we can be done with this whole ordeal, alright?" His eyes were trained on the blond, but they held a gentleness to them, one that had been lacking the previous night.

He held that gaze for a moment, "Right, about that. Most of what I clearly remember is running after I got out. I didn't pay attention to where I was going, but I have a vague idea." Taking a sip to relieve the scratchiness in his throat, he continued, "It's a bit blurry, but I think I could show you where he took me."

"No," Ignis cut him off quickly at that, "I think you should stay right here until this is over with." He placed his cup down a little harder than necessary, "It probably isn't wise for you to be out there again while they're still roaming around. And the fact that you wouldn't be alone does not matter, anything could occur."

The gunner's face took on an expression of surprise; where had that come from? "But, it would be so much faster and easier," he tried to use logic, that was something Ignis couldn't argue with. "If I can see that much, then I know you can, and you know it's the best way."

"I never said it wasn't the best way, I only said it wasn't happening. I'm one to partially blame for them catching you in the first place. So, if being protective and forcing you to stay where it's safe is the only way to make up for that, then so be it," he was looking Prompto straight in the face as he ended, regretting it when he saw confusion.

"What do you mean, you're the one to blame?" his voice contrasted with the eerie silence. Noctis had his gaze cast down at his hands, Gladio doing the same. "How... how exactly is it partially your fault? Because as far as I can tell, you're not the one that held a knife to my throat, threatening to kill me on the spot." His voice raised as the recollection replayed in his head, "I didn't see you when I was being told what a mistake I was, or what a monster I was." There was a scuff echoing off the walls as he stood up, roughly pushing his chair back. "You aren't the one that tried to drown me, using my own bandanna, and you sure as hell didn't promise to break my legs when you caught me." His voice cracked, but he kept the volume up, "So please, tell me, how is any of that your fault?"

Noctis quickly stood up as well, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Prom." His hand was shaken off, the blond never turning to face him. It was unsettling to say the least, the outburst, the laying everything out there for them to hear.

Ignis had both hands intertwined on the table in front of him. "You weren't all there and sluggish last night, correct? And I imagine getting away was no easy task. That and your memory is cloudy from last night, all of that, all of it is because of what I did. And, for that, I apologize deeply."

"What did you do?" he asked, lowering himself back down with the coaxing of his friend, hands back on his shoulders.

"I did what I thought I had to," he admitted once the other had calmed down. "You weren't sleeping, so I took the matter into my own hands, adding something to help with that problem into your food," he got right to the point, knowing that delaying the truth would only make this worse for all of them.

He heard the shuddering breath next to him as that news was processed. "So, you drugged me?" he corrected bluntly. He thought back to what could have happened while he was asleep. What if he had gotten a message that he needed to answer right then. Now, none of that mattered, but at the time, that was a different story altogether. Plus, that last time he had been drugged against his will, he woke up in a cell, so the thought of someone he trusted doing that twisted a knot in his stomach. "And you also told them about my code," he recalled, bringing his right hand up to gaze at it.

"It wasn't my place to tell them, bu-"

"You're right, it wasn't," Prompto swiftly interrupted. "That was for me to tell when I was ready for it, and now is probably the worst time to go around telling people about it." Even he could hear the quiver in his voice, but he wasn't sure if it was from anger, sorrow, or the fear of what they thought of him now. "You knocked me out, then told them the one thing I don't want people to know while I slept," he summed up, the quivering now almost shaking.

Ignis took in a deep breath, feeling as terrible about what he did as Prompto did about it being done to him, "I know I deserve every ounce of animosity, but that can wait." Meeting the blond's gaze, he nodded once, "If you don't mind, we need to get back on topic. Do you remember where they lead you? Any details at all would be helpful."

His breathing was still elevated due to his overflowing emotions, making focusing on what he was supposed to more than difficult. "Yes, no, I don't know. I kind of do, but it happened too fast and I was too busy wondering if I was going to get stabbed or not. So, as you can guess, I wasn't worried about the decor."

"Even the color of the building would be helpful," Ignis encouraged. "Anything like that if you can."

"I don't know," he blurted out impatiently. "It all looked the same to me, it was night." He stretched his legs, the rigidness in his ankle reminding him, "I know it had a balcony, and was at least two stories." As he relayed those memories, a few more began to pop up, "That building and the ones around it were pretty rundown-looking though."

Ignis hummed, letting him know he was listening to every word, making his own mental notes to add with what Gladio had told him. "How long were you running?"

He got a small shrug as his answer. "I told you, I just ran, I don't know for how long or where to." He sighed out, feeling like a broken record as he noticed just how much he had been saying 'I don't know' lately. He opened his mouth to speak, but a buzzing sound he had come to dread and despise these past few days drilled into his ears, completely chasing away what he had planned on saying. His eyes widened as they zoned in on its location, surprised that it was coming from so close by.

Across from him, Gladio reached into his back pocket, pulling the phone out. He stared at it for a moment and placed it into Ignis' outstretched hand. The adviser glanced over at the blond, holding it there for only a moment and opened the new message, scanning over it thoughtfully before reading it aloud. The others could see the subtle blanching of his face, it was by a minuscule shade or two, but it was noticed. "You can't escape for long, we know exactly where you are. You should have known better than to run from us, we warned you. Now, when we get you, we'll be sure to kill all of your little buddies first, and make you watch." He took a short break to make sure his anger stayed in check, "You've already learned not to take our threats lightly. I'll be seeing you soon."

The air became somewhat suffocating, making breathing feel heavy and arduous. "I think we should just leave," Prompto spoke softly, "Leave this place behind."

"They'll follow no matter where we go," the adviser pointed out, folding his arms. "It's better not to drag this out any longer."

The gunner bit his lip. "That's what I'm saying. If we leave, they follow. And that way, once we're far enough from the city, we can take care of them and not put anyone else in danger. There's too many people around here, and fighting could end up hurting others." He sounded like the idea was almost embarrassing to bring up, like his own suggestion was foolish and unconceivable. Or, that's how he felt with everyone's eyes on him like they were. "It's, uh, it's just a thought," he scratched the back of his head nervously and looked away, focusing on a random spot on the floor.

"Yes, there is a chance that they may follow, but they could also wait here until we inevitably return. They have already proven they know how to be patient, and if they are where we think they are, then there won't be much risk involved for the other residents of this city." Ignis wasn't completely dismissing the idea of luring them elsewhere, but there was no guarantee they would follow. Though, with how furious they now were, it wouldn't be shocking if they were to slip up and make a dire mistake on their part. With tempers flaring, it would be fairly easy to trick them, and at that he couldn't help but smile as a plan began to formulate.

He stared down at the phone for a moment, mapping out in his head what he was about to type before he did, taking care to use words and sentence structures that were in Prompto's style of speech. After carefully forming the message, he handed it over to the owner. "How does that sound?" he asked, amusement drenching his voice.

Taking the offered item, he scanned over the words, reading them to himself, 'I've had enough of this, I'm done. Just give up, we'll be leaving first thing in the morning anyway, so you'll have to find someone else to torment.' Prompto read over it a second time. "Are we really leaving?"

Ignis shook his head, "No, we aren't going anywhere, but they will believe we are, making them panic and act while they still can." He gave the blond a sideways grin, who returned it and pressed send before placing the phone on the table. "And now we wait."

* * *

 **The next three chapters, I will have song recommendations for.**


	17. Bridge Over Troubled Water

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **-PLEASE READ-**

 **For this chapter I do have a song for it, so I beg you to please listen to the song where the asterisk(*) is marked.**

 **Song is 'Bridge over Troubled Water' By: Simon and Garfunkel**

* * *

He sat there long after the deed was done; long after the seed had been planted; and long after the weight had been dropped into the bottom of his chest. The plan Ignis had laid out for them sounded reasonable, but there were so many holes, so many cracks that could cause the entire arrangement to shatter the moment a pebble was cast their way. But, the ship has sailed, no turning back. He had to trust the man on this one, regardless if he felt betrayed by him or not. He still had to trust him. Putting the phone down, he put his concerns down with it: out of sight, out of mind.

There was a clang of metal to his right, and he snapped his head around to Ignis as he placed a couple of pots on the stove. The older man turned, feeling the gaze burrowing into his back, "Figured I could whip something up before the storm hits." Opening a drawer, he retrieved a knife, watching the way the light glinted off it, and all he could see was red running down it. Blinking the picture away, he placed it on the counter next to the stove, "Anything you'd prefer?"

 **(*)** Prompto perked up, realizing the question had been directed at him, "Oh, no, anything is fine." Waving a hand, he swung his legs to the side of the chair and pushed himself up, taking an elongated span to watch Ignis as he worked before going to join the others in the other room. As he stepped through, the soothing sounds emitting from a radio on the side table sucked him in, easing his body and soul as he listened. He moved past the rest of them, not sparing any glances or words, but instead went straight to the window. Staring outside, he let the words flood his mind as he appreciated the view for what it was.

"Hey, how about joining us?" He peered over his shoulder, having to veer his gaze downward in order to get a view of Noctis' face, handful of cards fanned out mere centimeters away. "We're playing a bit of rummy if you want in?" he tried to persuade him into playing along, if it meant he was distracted for a bit. "They're kicking my ass, so I need someone down here who's worse than I am."

"And who says I'm bad?" Prompto asked, offensively. "As far as you know, I could be better than all of you, you don't know."

Noctis chuckled lightly, "Dude, do you even know how to play?"

The blond pursed his lips, "No, but prodigies do exist. I could be one of those... maybe"

"Then why don't you prove it?" Gladio jumped into the fray of teases now, seeing what the prince was attempting to do, "Unless, that is, you're all talk."

And that was the extra hay needed to spark up his flame, "Uhhh, ok, yeah, you're asking for it now, big guy. How about we make a bet?" he strode over and sat between him and Iris. "I win, and you carry my share of baggage for a month."

"Deal," Gladio easily welcomed the challenge, "And if you lose, I do hope you're a morning person, because you're training with me first thing every morning for two months."

Prompto gaped at that prospect, "Man, unfair, that's double the time I said."

The larger man set him with a sly grin, "What's wrong, afraid you'll lose?" He plucked three cards from his own hoard and plopped them down for the others to see, three aces staring them back.

"You son of a bitch with your three-of-a-kinds," Noctis muttered under his breath, glancing to the queen and king of hearts in his hand.

"Gladdy, you always ruin all my good hands," Iris playfully whined. "I really needed that diamond."

Prompto watched as it was her turn and she pulled a card off the top of the deck, smiling as she slipped it between two others, "Sorry guys, but I'm afraid I'm out." She spread her deal of cards out in front of her, smugly revealing a ten, jack, queen, and king of diamonds. "Alright you two, start subtracting your points."

"So what, this is some weird love child of poker and go fish?" Prompto asked, sounding more than a little underwhelmed. He looked from one pile of cards to the next, seeing a few three-of-a-kinds lying around, most of those being in front of Gladio, and some that looked like flushes. Didn't really make sense, but what the hell, may as well give it a shot. "I'm in."

The jokes and jovial banter carried over to Ignis as he sliced into tomatoes and chopped onions, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He listened to them intently, soaking in the moment of normalcy, the way things should be. The way he missed things being. The others couldn't hear it over their own enjoyment, but it reached his ears, the reminder that things weren't normal, and they were far from how they should be. It was an alarm waking him back up to reality. He closed his eyes, imagining it never went off, that it wasn't there. They should have at least one meal and one afternoon with no worries before they get pulled back into chaos. Was that too much to ask for?

The buzz soon ebbed away into the background, digging underneath everything else that made this particular time something to relish in and absorb. He zoned out, letting his muscle memory take over so he could focus on the wistful occasion, seeing how rare those were now. There was the infrequent jab at Prompto out of humor, and the more than frequent accusation of cheating from the three youngest.

"Are you serious?!" came Prompto's disbelieving exclamation. "So unfair. I'm calling hacks on you, because there is no way."

Gladio's deep and hearty laugh fallowed after the former's obvious displeasure, "Hope you're ready for one hell of a next couple months. I won't be going easy on you." He punched the younger's arm playfully.

The blond exaggeratedly pouted and rubbed his arm, but agreed nonetheless. "Alright, I guess a deal's a deal, I don't have to like it though." His own laugh joined the other, one that wasn't forced or feigned. A real display of elation; an authentic sound that forced Ignis' smile to complete itself.

"Actually, one more round," Prompto changed his mind, gathering all the cards and mixing them together before straightening them out. "Double or nothing."

The other man was quick to take him up on that, "Alright, just know you're digging your own grave here. So, don't blame me when you're out there begging for a break."

* * *

After letting the others have some time to indulge in their pastime, Ignis plated their meals, making sure it was perfect down to the last pinch of salt. He gazed down at the burly bean bowls, and nodded in satisfaction that they were near flawless as a swell of pride waved over him. Adding the garnish in the center with steady and expert fingers, he called the others, waiting until they were finished with their most recent round before doing so.

Each of them grabbed a bowl and sat at the table, quickly and naturally falling into idle, yet pleasant, conversation. All of them momentarily overlooking the troubles that they had endured and were about to delve back into. But, for now, it didn't matter as a clink sounded, Prompto placing his spoon in his bowl, "So, I've been meaning to ask. I wanted to earlier, but I guess I was... afraid... of what you guys might say."

"Spit it out," Noctis encouraged in his own way, pointing his own spoon at the blond.

He gave a crooked and nervous smile, "Yeah, um, well you guys know about this now." He lifted up his right arm, code still visible for all to see. "And, I know it's weird, or difficult to take in, but how do you guys feel about it?" His gaze fell into his bowl, looking at his own warped reflection from the handle of his utensil, "It's alright if you think any differently, I just want... need to know."

"That's it?" Gladio's loud tone tore through, completely changing the atmosphere, "And here I thought it was actually something serious bothering you. I mean, if it bothered us, do you think we'd still be here? No, we would have just left you where you were and ditched this place altogether."

There was a hum from Iris in agreement, "Right. That doesn't change anything, you are still you after all, despite what might be on you, or where you came from. That's the thing about the past, it's behind us." Prompto nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak at the moment, his throat suddenly feeling tight, though it wasn't a painful sensation this time.

Ignis lifted a napkin to his mouth, patting lightly, "I don't believe I have much to add to that, they summed it up pretty accurately." His eyes found the blond's. "From the moment I noticed it, never once did I doubt your intentions. You're a good person, and that's all I really care about. As long as you aren't a threat to His Highness, that is."

The sigh across from him attracted his attention over, Noctis folding his hands behind his head as he leaned back, "Doesn't change a thing. You were a dork before and you still are. Sorry, but no code or whatever can change that; you're just eternally cursed with it."

Prompto looked to the center of the table, so as not to look at one person in particular, "I guess I can't argue with that." He quieted for a few seconds, intertwining his fingers as he fiddled with his thumbs, "Thanks, for you know... being ok with this." Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly released it, his fears and anxieties blowing out with it and felt like he could relax now. No longer burdened with this secret or doubt about how the others would perceive him, he could leave those concerns behind.

Five pairs of eyes shot to the door, a knock echoing off the walls. The sound was almost deafening as it interrupted them. "I'll be right back, it seems we have uninvited company," Ignis said, scooting back and standing. Strolling over, he placed an ear against the door, "And might I ask who this is?"

For a moment there was no reply, but eventually, "Management, we've gotten a few noise complaints lately about this room, mind if I come in?" He huffed in frustration and annoyance, just what they needed right now, more headache to have to deal with.

It was muffled, but they could all make out the words. Prompto sat there listening, trying to place what it was that was bothering him; something seemed off, yet familiar about that voice. There was the acceptance from Ignis, and then the sound of the door being unlocked and the handle turning. Then it hit him, "Ignis, don't!" He quickly got to his feet, almost knocking his bowl off the table in his panic.

His words didn't reach soon enough as he cracked the door open, and he felt it before he saw it. Frey pain exploded in his left side, almost pulsing as it did. Slowly his eyes drifted down, a shine of metal greeting his gaze, the knife buried in pretty deep, only allowing a glint to be visible. As the shock passed, he looked back up, meeting vengeful eyes as a spark of hatred flashed through them. "I'm afraid you guys won't be going anywhere anytime soon." As he spoke, he jerked his blade back, causing blood to splutter out, splattering to the floor. All that left his lips was a sharp gasp; time almost feeling suspended as his vision blurred in and out, the world tilting before his eyes.

"Ignis!"

* * *

 **Sorry this one was cut so short, but you know, had to do the cliffy. Also, this one and the next two chapters, I really tried my best on, so really hope people like them. ^-^**


	18. Loss

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Ok, so I am fully prepared to get some hate for this chapter XD. I originally didn't want to do this, but thought 'what the hell.' So, sorry in advance. lol**

 **Also, listen to 'Host of Seraphim' by: Dead Can Dance. Only if you want though, just what I listened to for this one.**

* * *

He felt numb, as though the air around him had chilled to unfathomable temperatures, freezing him to the spot. 'Iggy,' he mouthed, unsure if the name ever passed his lips or not; the ringing in his ears becoming overwhelming, denying sounds other than his racing mind and rushing blood to enter. Someone ran in front of him, blocking his sight for a fraction of a second, a fraction too long. There was yelling, he knew, yelling and shouts, one of which were right next to him. He twisted his head, seeing Noctis' mouth move, his brow furrowed, but again, he heard nothing. Body moving on its own, he stumbled forward, almost tripping over his own shuffling feet as they sped up, legs giving out once he reached the man bleeding out on the floor. "Iggy! Hey, you with me?" he cut his eyes over, Gladio next to him, hands pressing onto the stab wound, stunting the flow of crimson.

"No, no, no, no," Prompto convinced his voice to get passed his throat at least. He could have sworn that Death himself had his heart in his grasp, squeezing it until it was on the verge of being crushed. "Iggy? Come on, open your eyes."

"Oh my, I didn't hurt him, did I?"

The blond forced his eyes to pry away from the man, landing on the owner of the voice and meeting eyes filled with revenge, "You bastard, what the hell did you do?!" The reaper's hands went from his heart to his hand, prompting him to draw his weapon and train it dead center between Acerbus' eyes. "Back up," his voice was strong, but wavered considerably. Busy as he was keeping a close eye on the man, he was unaware of Noctis and Iris coming next to him, the latter having her full attention on Ignis, helping Gladio tend to his wound.

"I think you might want to lower that little pea shooter of yours," he suggested, never faltering under the threat of death in his face. "I'm aware you made a little friend while you were with us, surely you don't want to lose that." He pushed the door the rest of the way open, as if he were presenting a prize on a game show. That despicable, sickening grin graced his face as Prompto looked upon the scene; Rudis, a gun to his head, held firmly still by the heavy and restricting arm of Macto. He felt nauseated, the fact that they were willing to use their own brother like that.

Still, Prompto kept his arm up as he glanced back at the others. Gladio and Iris had already worked on moving Ignis out of the way, still working on stopping the bleeding. His eyes trailed along the smear of red that was left in his wake, stained towels were already littering the floor around him; to him they appeared like rose petals framing a deathbed. There was so much of it, everywhere, it was the only color he could see.

"Why the hell should we care about him?" Noctis asked, his own sword now gripped tightly in both hands. He growled out between clenched teeth in frustration as he lunged forward, stopping in his tracks as something blocked his charge, and he only had to get a glimpse of yellow for his brain to recognize. "What are you doing?! Move!" he cried out in annoyance, the edge almost tasting the tip of Prompto's nose.

"Wait," he requested quietly, "Please, just let me talk to them."

"They don't want to 'talk' Prom, alright?" Noctis used the flat side of his blade to try and gently persuade the other out of his path.

He exhaled sharply at the shove, interjecting himself back between them, "Noct, please." He looked pleadingly into navy eyes, begging him to let him handle this. "This is about me, I should be the one to take care of it." His gaze flicked over to Ignis, the wet and desperate cough shredding at his chest. This had already been taken too far; it was supposed to be personal, but they had to cause others pain instead. He didn't want others to get hurt due to him, or die because he didn't want to comply to demands.

"No, don't you understand, this has gone on long enough," the gunner was once again shoved aside, Noctis doing so none too tenderly this time around, making sure he remained out of the way. It looked to play out in slow motion, his best friend charging forward, blade raised behind his head as light glinted off the edge. Prompto reached out, hand stretching to grab onto the back of his shoulder, moving almost in sync with Acerbus' raising one. His vision was blinded by the white flash, blurred by his own despair; hearing obscured from the exploding burst as the bullet left its chamber.

Noctis heard the shot as well, right as he approached his target, but it didn't phase him. He thrust his arms downward, hearing a second shot ring out as the weight of the blade carried it down faster. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both men to his right go down, and turning his head further, there was Prompto, gun in both hands as fresh wisps of grey streamed from the barrel; his face was a stoic mask of nothing. The blade struck the floor while his attention was still elsewhere.

"Macto, dammit," the man swore, stepping over the two, narrowly avoiding tripping over them. "Get the fuck up, will you?" He landed a hard kick, just above the gunshot wound in the right side of his chest. The older man released what would be described as a cross between a groan and gargle, his words seemingly lost to him. He glanced up, crouching to scoop up his brother's dropped gun, training it instantly on the sauntering prince. "Not another step," he threatened, finger brushing over the trigger, shaking subtly as it gently squeezed, not yet enough to fire it off.

* * *

"Iris, I need you to check that bag over there," he spoke quickly, cocking his head in the direction, "Look for a potion, there should be a couple left." He cursed under his breath, pressing his hands down more firmly as another spurt of red ran between his fingers. "Ignis, hey, I need you to say something."

Glassy and half-lidded teal orbs met his own, his lips parted as he attempted to speak, but only a pained cough escaped, causing the brute to flinch from the sound of it. "Iris!" he shouted, the name coming out far more harsh and aggressive than he had intended. From where he was, the various clinks and clashes drifted through him as she dug through the contents, "Just bring the whole damn bag!" He zoned out, concentrating on the warmth that spilled beneath his hands, only looking away when he heard something plopping down next to him. "Alright, place your hands here for a moment, and keep them there, do not lessen the pressure whatever you do."

She nodded, knowing better than to speak, expecting that only a sob would come out, and that wouldn't help Gladio's panicked demeanor any. Tenderly at first, her hands were placed over Ignis' abdomen as soon as her brother lifted his, tepid, thick liquid instantly oozing beneath them. "Press harder," came Gladio's rough instructions as his own hands were plunged into the bag of supplies, staining each vial he brushed over, the ones he did grab, slipping out of his grasp only to clang against the others. With his impatience and irritation rabidly flaring, he turned the bag over, dumping out the curatives, grabbing the fleeing ones when they tried to roll away. By now, his eyes probably had overlooked the item countless times over, all of them blurring together. Inevitably, though, the green hue lured him in, and he wasted no more time in snatching it up.

"Iggy, think you can hold on to this?" he asked, already shoving the glass container into his limp hand, forcing his fingers to wrap around it. "Ok, just crush it, that's all you gotta do," he tried to encourage, but it sounded so ridiculous to be directing these words at Ignis of all people. He had his own hand underneath the adviser's ice-like one, the tension palpable as he put effort into doing just that. Gladio offered some assistance, giving the extra push it took until the thing shattered, enveloping the man in a green hue.

The wound beneath her touch heated up, the owner of it gasping agonizingly as the potion did it's work in closing the injury. Iris removed them, checking the now pink mark, making sure it was adequately sealed. Cringing, she swiped away some of the lingering blood to get a better look.

"Stay here," Gladio said softly, voice sounding drained and forced. "Make sure he's taken care of, I have to deal with something." His vacant gaze leaving them, drifting towards where the others stood instead. From there he could easily see Noctis now standing outside the door, Prompto nearby with his gun raised, plumes still rising from the end of it. He strode by, placing his hand atop the blond's gun and plucked it from his trembling hands as he went. Taking it in his own, he held it forward as he rounded the corner, stepping out to stand next to Noctis.

"You stay out of this, both of you. This isn't about either one of you," Acerbus spat, gun alternating between prince and shield, never settling on one for long.

Without pause, Gladio raised his arm and pulled the trigger in one fluid motion, earning a cry of pain as the bullet pierced his body, rivaling the wound he gave Ignis, "You made this about us, you bastard." Four long strides, and he was towering over the incapacitated man, leaning down to grab him by the shirt, kicking the firearm from his grasp.

Noctis said nothing as he dragged the objecting scum through, adding a second trail of blood to the other as he hauled him through and into the bathroom where he could hear the man struggle as water ran. Prompto merely stood there, thousand-yard stare aimlessly drifting by as everything finally began to hit at once. Blinking for the first time since the first shot, emotion and life filled his eyes, horror and regret lingering in the shadows of them. His hands, which were still suspended in front of him, fell listlessly to his sides. He took one unsteady and clumsy step after another, repeating until he reached the door, only Noctis being visible from where he was. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he stepped over the threshold, stumbling over it as he wasn't looking where he was going anymore.

His friend could only watch, giving the other the space needed to comprehend and accept what he feared. He dropped to his knees once he was close enough to see what had anticipated, what he had dreaded would come. "Why couldn't you just stay back like I asked?" his voice came out choked, stifling a sob that desperately wanted out. For an extended moment, he stayed down there, almost in denial about the pool of crimson he stared at, lights reflecting from it as it still continued to slowly expand. And, he ignored the way it soaked through his pants, caring wouldn't have changed a damn thing. "I'm checking on Ignis," he declared, pushing himself up, staggering as his mind stayed down.

Like that of a ghost, he floated by, having no presence about him. He left his comrade there without another word, offering no glance or gesture, nothing. The room was silent, almost deafening in a sense, only being broken by Ignis' labored breaths and the Acerbus' struggles and protests. Blood, it was everywhere, it was all he could see and he was sick of it. All of it, it stained his hands, not in a literal sense, but it was there. "He's going to be fine," Iris tried to reassure in her cheerful way, but it didn't pierce through his trepidation, didn't even scratch the surface.

"I know," he answered anyway, more for her sake. "He always is." Crouching down, he ran a thumb over the tender spot, feeling the raised mark that would surely leave a scar. The muscle contracted underneath, the touch bringing forth a small twinge of discomfort, accompanied by a soft groan from the man. His uninterested gaze moved towards the bathroom, where the struggle was suddenly becoming more violent. Through the splashes and thuds, he didn't have to ask what he was doing, didn't need to look any further or think about what was going on; he knew exactly was Gladio was doing, and the worst part was, he didn't want to stop him. If anything, he wanted to help him, but he didn't make any move to go over.

"Promp...to," he inhaled sharply, out of surprise, at the voice.

"Iggy," he breathed out, just glad to hear the man say something, the sound pulling him out of his reverie. His hands fumbled as they tried to cup his face, helping him to look in his direction. "Hey, how ya feeling?" his voice portrayed that of his usual self, forcing it to not mirror what he felt, couldn't let him know how worried and terrified he really was.

The man hummed, scrunching his face in pain, "I'll...live."

"Water," Prompto remembered, recalling the times he always made them drink water when they lost a good amount of blood. "Go get some water," he asked Iris. "We should probably move you somewhere more comfortable, I'll ask Gladio to do that once he...finishes up. Does that sound good?" he was doing what he could to keep the man awake and engaged in until Gladio could take over. He trusted him with this far more than himself.

Ignis' head seemed to twitch in response, and Prompto assumed that was a nod, or he vainly hoped it was. For some reason, his body felt chills run down when his ears no longer picked up the struggles, the bathroom growing silent, the only sound coming from it was a small dripping and the complaining from the door as Gladio pushed past it. The blond risked a glance over, the man was soaked, the entire front of his attire drenched and heavy from water, Looking past him, he could plainly see Acerbus draped over the edge, top part of his body still submerged. A shudder plagued his body, knowing exactly what that man had just endured, only worse.

"Hey," he kept his voice leveled, "Think you can move Iggy to one of the beds, I want to take care of something else real quick."

Gladio nodded, crouching to gently lift the man in his arms; he glanced at Iris as he stood, finding a slight disturbance behind her gaze, and he realized, he had just murdered someone in front of her. Not that she hasn't seen it, but not one quite like that. It didn't matter that it was to protect her and the others, he chose a slow and painful demise, when he could have, and should have, made it quick. She was strong, he was positive of that, but this... this wasn't something to be dismissed easily.

"Thanks," Prompto bowed his head swiftly, ducking down and slithered away. He cringed at every step that slid over the slick substance coating the floor. He reached the cabinets and started rummaging through them, pushing various things aside, finding what he was looking for at last. A bowl, the same one used to clean up his mess the previous day. The memory stinging as he thought about, he filled the bowl, squirting a bit of soap as it poured in. He left it in the sink, walking only a few feet to retrieve one of the mostly clean rags from the floor, which wasn't saying much. Bringing it back, he rinsed it out the best he could, remnants still lingered behind though.

He sighed deeply, turning around with bowl in hands, eyes scanning over the scene as a whole for the first time; the place was an absolute mess. There was hardly a clean spot hiding among the room. Full of discouragement and remorse, he began scrubbing, hating how quickly he had to tip the cloth in the bowl, and how frequent he was doing it. Soon, he was acting on autopilot, his arms working in a set routine: dip, wring, scrub, repeat. A cycle that felt like it was dragging on for a lifetime, and he felt overcome with guilt; is this the way Ignis felt?

"Prom." He looked up, meeting Noctis' watchful eye. "Why don't you let me take over," he offered, not waiting for an answer before he gently pulled the rag away, "You should, um, you should probably go be with Iggy right now. I'm sure he'd be happy to have your company right now."

Prompto still felt a bit of... ill will against the other, but he couldn't deny that he'd rather be over there than spend another second tediously ridding the area of such vile filth. Every swipe he made tightened the knot in his stomach, it was absolutely destroying him from the inside. "Yeah, alright," he nodded his thanks, walking away briskly, glad to turn his back on the scene. Even though it was behind him, it still loitered in the back of his head, the image never really leaving him.

Seeing him approach, Gladio stood, inviting him to take his spot, which was on the edge of the bed, right next to Ignis. Appreciatively, he took the donated spot, his gaze remaining fixated on the adviser's prone form as he lied there. The shallow and steady breaths told him he was asleep, which he was grateful for. If he was asleep, then he wasn't suffering at least. Without thinking, he pulled his legs, curling up on his side and facing the other man. He knew he probably wouldn't wake up any time soon, but he would be damned if he wasn't going to be there when he did.

* * *

 **Again, I am so sorry for what I've done, please don't hate me. lol**


	19. Hard to Accept

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Also, have another song for this one, again completely optional. I have the spot obviously marked for where to listen at.**

 **Song is "The Boxer" by: Simon and Garfunkel (Yes, I have been obsessed with them lately.)**

* * *

It's been an hour – an hour of scrubbing and an hour of uncomfortable silence. Still though, there were so many stains left littering the place, so many things in need of attention, both inanimate and organic. So many things in need of repairing and patching up, and not just the external wounds. Noctis breathed in deeply, airways filled with the musty and metallic scent. Leaning back on his haunches, he observed the room, eyes blurring everything together. 'Some shit storm,' he thought bitterly, swiping the back of his hand across his brow, laughing lowly to himself for lack of a better coping mechanism. Slowly it was sinking in though, that it wouldn't be long before the curiosity of others lead them there. With all the commotion and gunshots, he was surprised no one had yet. He glanced around, swallowing hard at the two bodies right outside the door, and then to the bathroom door where the third resided; this would take quite a bit of explaining.

He dropped the cloth in the bowl at that realization: there was no point in this. They just killed people; cleaning the place should have been of low priorities for them, so why was he busying himself with this? He knew what had to be done now, but none of them needed more bullshit to deal with, not now anyway. His head fell back until it was leaning against the counter, and the conflict of what to do next battled in his mind. There were two options, two choices that could possibly thrust them farther into the pit of no return, so how was he supposed to decide? It was normally Ignis who took on these decisions, but that wasn't happening any time soon. Should they run, and leave this behind them, or call the authorities? No matter which it was, it wouldn't look promising for them.

A deep pressure on either temple formed, pressing in on his head rather painfully. "What the hell now?" he muttered, closing his eyes lightly. The temptation to just lie down and give up was on the verge of being overwhelming, to just stay down there and will everything away.

 **-SONG-**

The steady rise and fall of Ignis' chest was the only thing he knew, watching it closely, expecting it to stop at any moment, but knowing it wasn't. 'He's fine,' he kept telling himself, kept reminding himself. 'Stop worrying so much, you're overreacting,'but he couldn't dismiss the doubt from his conscience; it had already embedded itself in too deeply, like a parasite. Or, rather, it was something that was always there and had just reared its head once again. This constant state of uneasiness whenever anything seemed amiss with Ignis; there was a bond now, one that would not be easily damaged. Not even by a small slip of betrayal, which seemed like such a small thing in this moment. He nearly regretted the way he acted towards the man for revealing his secret, but he understood, he knew he only did it for his own well-being.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered, unsure if the other could hear him or not, but decided that it didn't matter, it was something that needed to be said. "I'm so sorry, Iggy." He curled up further, "This wouldn't have happened if I had just killed them while I had the chance. And because I didn't, this happened, all of this. Something that could have been easily avoided if I wasn't such a damn coward." His eyes squeezed shut, his eyelids working as a dam against tears that threatened to spill over. The slight sting was a tell-tale sign that it was a losing battle. He opened them back up, vision now obscured with moisture, "All of you could have died because of my stupid mistake."

He breathed in, lips quivering, biting down to still them. It was held there for a few seconds as he tried to cram down a sob. Normally, he wouldn't break so easily in front of others, yet this time seemed to be a special occasion. To his gratitude, neither of the others said a word, and he was easily able to reject their presence, believing it was only the two of them there. This made voicing what was on his mind come out more naturally, more genuine and pure. "But, just like everything else, I had to second guess myself... and someone else had to pay. I'm not asking you..." he paused to collect himself, choking back another whimper, "I'm not asking you to forgive me, or anyone really. I just wanted to get this out." The last part was lost, being drowned out by his shuddering breath.

The compressed sensation that sheathed his heart seemed to overflow, streaming into his throat and stomach, making breathing a painful ordeal. Prompto felt like no more than a shell; his spirit having been replaced by a phantom of guilt. He was startled, jolting subtly at the hitch next to him, the sound coming unexpectedly, "You can stop with that... needless bemoaning of yours." The light tone lifted his gaze, meeting another hazy and half blocked one. The blond's face adopted a shade of red. "But, if you must know... no, I do not blame you for any of this," he coughed involuntarily, wincing slightly when it jostled his still sore abdomen.

"So-so you heard all that, huh?" Prompto asked, some of the strength returning to his voice, though it still had thin edge to it. His eyes were averted due to his unsolicited bashfulness, "Heh, well, this is kind of awkward now." The airy chuckle had a slim layer of false sincerity, yet the older man welcomed it whole-heartedly.

One of his expert hands drifted to his side, fingers brushing over the raised flesh that marked his wound, "Every word." He pulled no punches when it came to honesty. "Every last word," he repeated, furrowing his brow. "And... I must say, that took quite the amount of courage to say," he presented an amiable smirk.

"Iris," Noctis' call broke their time of ease, "Think we could possibly crash in your room for a while? If you don't mind, that is." He rubbed the back of his head, glancing around the space, "This place is a little, yeah."

She smiled warmly up at him, "Yeah, that won't be a problem. It's a bit smaller than this one, so it might be a little cramped, but it should be fine if you all are alright with that."

"You have to remember," Gladio spoke up, "We've slept in the close quarters of a tent plenty of times, I'm sure a small hotel room will be no problem." He averted his focus, looking off in the direction of the bathroom. "What are we gonna do about them though? You know we can't leave this place as is."

The prince bowed his head in acknowledgement. "About that, I'm going to stay here and call this in, I guess it'll be less suspicious if I call rather than someone else."

"So you plan on staying here to deal with it alone?" Gladio questioned dubiously. "There are three dead bodies." That's right, there were three, not two; Prompto tensed at that comment, the blood surrounding Rudis' head flashing behind his eyes. "How do you plan on explaining that? Hell, one of them was drowned, that's pretty damn hard to pass off as self-defense."

Noctis' lips flattened into a hard line, the same thought had ventured through his own mind a few times. "I'm not sure how I'm going to explain that yet, but being a prince does have its advantages, so we'll see," he shrugged nonchalantly, his nerves brewing up a storm under his confident facade. "The rest of you should head on out. And try to be discreet about it if you can, don't need strangers getting curious."

"What about Ignis?" Iris brought up, assuming the others had forgotten the man's current state, "Are you sure he's fine to be moving around like that?"

Said man couldn't contain a scoff as his brow twitched. "I assure you, I'm fully able to make such a small distance." To verify his argument, he pushed himself up, wincing slightly and smacking Prompto's hand away when it wandered over. "I may not be one-hundred percent, but I can manage," he hissed out between clenched teeth, a thin sheen of sweat developing over his face.

"Aren't you the one always telling us not to be stubborn?" The blond sat up next to him, working his way up to his feet and around to the other side. "Also, remember when you made me accept help from the big guy? Well, I think it's about the time I throw those words back at you." He gave him a sly smile, folding his arms across his chest. Flicking his eyes over to Gladio, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "Alright, you ready?"

With a prompt nod, he strolled over, crouching down in front of the adviser, "You know the drill, or would you rather me drag you?" He grinned at the exasperated sigh that sounded behind him, "No point in fighting it, so up you go."

"I suppose I would be a hypocrite if I were to refuse," he breathed in and held it long enough to get his body turned; this worked out fairly well with the unwarranted assistance from the gunner. It was a laborious and lengthy process, but with taking it one step at a time he finally made it up. There was a rush of heat flowing up into his cheeks at the change of altitude, the being carried in such a way chipping away at his concrete pride. Gladio heard a small mumble coming from the other, but it was far too restrained to make out the words.

The brute held on strong, making sure Ignis didn't as much as slip an inch. "And are you sure you're good to go? Don't need to get real medical help or anything?" he inquired hesitantly. It was an abdominal injury after all, and that was something he didn't want to take any chances with.

Ignis hummed, "I'm most positive, there doesn't seem to be any indicating pain that suggests further harm. Though, even if I did feel the need for it, we don't currently have the funds for such things." his voice was starting to grow hoarse from overuse, quickly growing tired again from that short burst of activity. His breaths came out quick and hollow, brushing along the back of Gladio's neck in warm puffs. There was a rough throaty sound emitting from him, and it took the other a quick moment to realize he was only clearing his throat; the dryness in it had risen to be near agonizing.

"Noct, I'm certain you already know how I feel about you doing this, and I already know there's nothing I could say to change your mind. But, I ask that if you have even an inkling of doubt about this, then you should reconsider this option."

The dusk-haired turned his gaze, rubbing one hand down his upper arm. "Trust me, if I thought we could get away with just hiding the bodies and covering all this up, I would. But I don't see that happening without a miracle," he looked down to his still raised hand, and staring at the red stains that traced down the span of his fingers. "Not to mention doing so would take forever." He turned his back to them, staring off at the one clean spot in the whole room. That one spot alone had taken him over an hour, yet there were still a few mocking remnants sticking behind. "Don't worry yourself about it though, it'll be taken care of."

"I'll leave it to you then," Gladio dipped his head once, replacing a pat on the shoulder with the gesture. "Make sure to let us know if anything goes awry and I'll come back," he strolled smoothly by, keeping his pace moderately steady.

Iris followed close behind, tossing a quick look of questioning concern over, "Please be careful." She was answered with a quick wave of the hand and a soft, 'yeah.' That was suitable, a very 'Noct' reply as she saw it.

The last of the five remained where he was, planted to the spot and looking unsure about this course of action. It felt wrong on so many levels, but he rose to his feet regardless. "Are you completely sure about this?" he asked, looking off towards the door, not focusing on anything. "I mean, if you want someone to stay here with you, then I wouldn't mind." Noctis could pinpoint the subtle yet clear suggestion behind his words, the hidden meaning residing underneath. He couldn't quite figure out his reasoning for wanting to remain here with him, but it didn't matter what that intention was.

"No, I'm good, go ahead back with them. It's better if I'm the only one here anyway. If things do go astray and you're here, I don't think they'll be as forgiving with you as they would with me." He couldn't be sure if that were really the case or not, it wasn't worth taking that chance though.

Prompto's hands balled up slightly, shaking marginally, "Right, of course, I'll leave this to you then." Now it just sounded like he were biding his time, drawing out his words and pausing between a few of them, "Like Iris said, please, don't get yourself into trouble, I don't think any of us can take much more."

"It'll be fine, I promise," Noctis raised his hand, signaling that he should really get going now. "If you take any more time, they'll leave you behind."

The blond nodded one more time, "Alright, I get it, I'm going." Throwing his hands up playfully in defeat, he leisurely trailed after the others, almost dragging his feet and slowing the closer he got to the door; hesitating when he reached the frame, treating the frame as if it were a force field. Breathing in deeply, calming himself and preparing himself, and retained it. As he stepped through, he made certain to keep his eyes to the right, never permitting them to roam in any other direction. Even with his eyes averted, and feet moving, there was no preventing the unrelenting, convulsing chill from passing through him.

There was a hint of heartache as his mind ignored all warnings and brought forth the truth of what was behind him. The fact that he couldn't return the favor to someone for giving him a chance ripped and hacked at his conscious. The urge to spin around and make sure this was real was tugging at his heels, gripping at them almost painfully. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he glanced down at his feet and closing his eyes. "I didn't mean for this to happen," he whispered delicately before breaking into a short-lived jog; one for the sole purpose of getting away from the scene after him.

* * *

"Here we are, home sweet home... sort of," Iris opened the door, holding it open wide enough for Gladio and his cargo to fit through with ease. "Make yourselves comfortable," she added as Prompto passed by; he bowed his head in thanks as he walked through. "And, if you need anything at all, then please, feel free," shutting the door, she hovered a few feet away from the others, not wanting to accidentally get in the way until they were all situated and relaxed.

Gently, the shield lowered Ignis down, allowing the man to keep some of his pride at least, and didn't stop him from positioning himself as he pleased. "Don't overdo it now," he warned, hearing a soft groan escape when he tried to prop himself up. Next was his sigh of relief, tension gradually withdrawing, leaving him winded and fatigued; every muscle begged for rest. The larger man did a quick once over, not at all surprised to see the already half-lidded eyes, nor the dark blemishes which hung underneath. "Get some sleep, it could be a while before Noctis gets things taken care of."

For a short while, Prompto listened and observed from behind Iris, falling silent and keeping to himself for the time being; there was still so much to process and accept: The fact that his stalkers and tormentors were dead; their hotel room was utterly destroyed; Rudis, the man that had helped him, was killed by his own brother... all because of him. And, worst of all, Ignis had been injured and could have easily perished as well. And now, now he couldn't shove the nagging voice in his head that was still back with Noctis, dealing with the aftermath of all this. "Everything alright?" he jumped, just now aware that Iris was looking at him, eyes boring into him.

"Oh, yeah sorry, must have zoned out for a moment," he aimlessly walked forward, legs working without his consent and taking him closer to the single bed. There was no asking for admission, he assumed they wouldn't care though as he climbed up and set next to the adviser. As expected, no-one complained about when he claimed the spot, planting himself to the spot with no signs of moving anytime soon.

Next to him, the man slipped a few weak and dry coughs. "I'll get you some water." Ignis dipped his head in acknowledgement, leaning it back again once Gladio was out of sight.

"I almost forgot how much I despised being fawned over," he complained to himself, voice lacking any real agitation.

"Says the man that fusses over everyone else twenty-four seven," Prompto scoffed. "Way to be a 'hypocrite.'" He elbowed him gently in the ribs, careful not to disturb his still tender stab wound. "Hate to say it, but you're going to have to deal with it for a little while, whether you like it or not." From the tone of his voice, he was enjoying this far more than he should have. "At least it won't be for too long. I mean, if you're fine enough to whine about it, then you're obviously not too badly off."

Ignis clicked his tongue, "It could be a day, or a month, all the same to me. The amount of time won't change the way I feel about it." He turned his head to Gladio and offered a quick and soft 'thank you' and took the gifted glass in both hands, still not trusting himself to keep it steady with just one. "But, you're right, I'll have to tolerate it for just a little while, I suppose."

* * *

 **This is coming close to its end, within the next few chapters. ;w;**


	20. On The Right Path

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **Well, this is it, only one more chapter after this one. OnO**

* * *

The silence was that of comfort, tranquility and relief; relief at knowing the worst was over, that anything else that would attempt to hinder them would be child's play compared to the horror and difficulties that had just greeted them in unwelcomed arms. But, he knew he shouldn't feel relaxed yet, there was still that nagging voice that continued to barrage him with its vocalized concerns. Worries that he knew were unnecessary and irrational. They kept repeating that Noctis was in danger, that something was going to happen to him, and yet, he knew them to be false. An overreaction of his mind as it now seemed to be untrusting of nearly everything, everything aside from those close to him, of course. Everyone was safe now, Iris was safe, Ignis was safe, he was safe, but it all seemed so irrelevant in retrospect.

Prompto turned to his other side, averting his attention to the window, eyes following the sailing dust particles, keeping his gaze on each one until they faded away into a shadow. He wasn't sure how long he did this, could have been an hour, maybe even longer. Somehow, though, he found it to be unnaturally soothing. Then, the thought hit him: 'No, you're just distracting yourself.' He took a deep breath, pushing himself back up onto the edge of the bed, "What's taking him so long?"

A sound came from Gladio, heavy and forced, "My guess is he's working his princely charm." He glanced around, gaze landing on each one for a time. All wore a similar mask, that which he knew mirrored his own. They were all concerned about how this turned out. Prince or not, if things aren't in your favor, your status wouldn't save you outside the crown city. If they found even a molecule of evidence that didn't bode well, then it could easily be game over.

"Should we go back? What if something happened?" The blond planted his feet on the floor, pulling the rest of his body up with them. "I think we should go back, he could be in deeper than he thinks." His feet began moving on their own, taking him with them as they traveled across the room, then back, almost as if it were routine. "What if they arrested him? We all know that place looked like Hell."

A soft and gentle touch on his shoulder brought him to a stop, "Calm down, it'll work out." He twisted his head, meeting Iris' eyes. "I've known him my whole life, trust me when I say, he'll find a way to work this out." She provided him with a quick and knowing wink.

"Yeah," he nodded quickly. "Yeah, I know, I know." He brought a finger up to his mouth, teeth anchoring down around the nail as they dug into it, nearly severing it. "You're right, I know you are," he murmured between the obstruction.

With a tight, yet friendly grip, Gladio ripped his hand away from his mouth, "Maybe you should go take a shower. You haven't had a decent one in a while, and that quick rinse off you had the other day doesn't count." The corner of us mouth curved up playfully. "In other words, you smell like shit, so go take care of that."

There was no humor in the younger's response though, no cheerfulness or anything mimicking that of it, "Sure, that might be a good idea." He nodded to the larger man, leaning his attention back down towards the floor, watching his feet as he moved towards the bathroom. Perhaps this would help calm him down, if even for a moment. Any sort of escape was more than welcome right about now. Opening the door just wide enough to squeeze through, he shut it with a sounding 'click,' leaning against the frame for a few seconds before heading towards the shower.

Staring down at the porcelain tub, he realized it had been a while since he's had an actual bath, most of the time it's been the quick shower here and there. So long since he really took the time to really enjoy the whole cleaning off thing. His hand trailed along the edge, eventually reaching the knobs. Glancing over the red 'H' labelled one, he turned it as far left as it could go, and ignored the other, leaving it unnoticed and untouched. While the tub filled with scorching water, filling the room with steam, he stared into the mirror; he stared back at himself up to the point where that connection was lost in the fog layering over the glass. Cutting his eyes over, the bath was nearly half filled, and took that as his queue to start getting undressed.

He remembered when he was actually satisfied with the way his body looked, actually proud of the changes he had made to it, but now, now he didn't even want to look at it. Until now, he hadn't realized how bad he appeared, almost sick if he had to put a word to it. He hated it, every part about it. He ran a thumb over his ribs, feeling every ridge of them, and instantly, he wished he had decided to have taken a quick shower so he could quickly cover himself back up.

A split second later, his guilt was slapping him again. How could he be this worried about such a vain thing at a moment like this? His best friend was out there, possibly being arrested for murder. Something that was about him, and here he was concerning himself with the way he 'looked'. Shaking his head, he stuck one foot in, flinching at the burning that assaulted it. Maybe doing straight hot water wasn't the best idea. Sucking it up, he plunged his limb in, leaving it there until he was used to it, then followed it with the other. That was done, and now was the hard part, actually lowering his body into it.

It took some time and patience, but soon enough he was able to submerge himself fully, only his head from the nose up sticking up. He let his eyes slide closed, letting the water encase him, swallowing him into a relaxing and welcomed tomb-like bed. The once scorching sensation gradually eased into comfort, draining his muscles of their tension and overall achiness drained his body of energy and he could feel himself growing more exhausted the longer he stayed there.

* * *

He couldn't breathe, it felt as though something were compressing his lungs, tightening around them and preventing any air from entering. Cracking an eye open, he was faced with nothing, an endless void of nothing for miles in all directions. He opened his mouth to speak, only for water to rush in, burning him from the inside as it cascaded in. "Are you some fucked up hybrid, or what? What the hell are you?" He spun his head around, eyes falling on the first thing that came into sight. "Tell me, why exactly do you have that mark?" Acerbus asked, stepping closer, soaked and dripping as water leaked from the corner of his mouth with every word he spoke. Prompto opened his mouth to reply, regretting it as more fire rushed in and his vision started to blur, Acerbus warping before him in a mess of colors and shapes. He tightly shut his eyes, the overwhelming suffocation becoming unbearable.

His eyes snapped open and his body shot upwards, water splashing around him with the movement. He tried to take a deep breath as his insides were still burning fiercely, screaming at him for oxygen. A gasp of air was sucked in, increasing the heat within by double the amount, causing him to choke on it. He quickly found himself gripping the edge of the tub, leaning over the side when the coughs didn't stop, forcing his body to convulse as it tried to expel any water that was left behind.

Finally, now lightheaded and fatigued, he was able to take a few shallow and quick breaths, each one ripping at his throat and chest. He glanced up at the few knocks against the door, echoing inside his throbbing skull. "Everything alright in there?"

He couldn't answer right away, couldn't even catch his breath yet as they continued to come out in quick and pained gasps. But, he couldn't just let Gladio stand there and worry, especially after what happened last time he was alone in a bathroom for too long. Clearing his throat, he placed the side of his head against the coolness of the tub, "Yeah." His voice cracked, dragging more coughs out with it, "Everything's good... I'm almost done." It sounded strange and held back, but he hoped it was audible enough to be heard.

For a while he lied there, slowly taking deeper and more efficient breaths, the realization slowly sinking in that he could have easily just drowned right there. And as long as he's been in there, that's all he managed to do; he hadn't even washed his hair yet, which had to be laden with grime, so no way he could get away with just leaving it as it was. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself away from the edge and leaned his head back, making sure he could take in air without pain before getting to the task he was supposed to be doing. 'Ok,' he thought, leaning back against the tiles at the wall. Carefully, he began lowering himself back down, hesitating when his head was a few inches from the water.

Cursing at himself for being so uneasy about this, so irrational, he plunged his head under water, leaving it there for only a fraction of a second and immediately resurfaced; his heart was racing when he took a deep breath, despite him not needing it. Pushing his fear to the side, trying to stifle it, he grabbed the shampoo bottle, dispensing a generous amount into his hand, piling it on as he was blanketed in his need to hurry and get out. With a half-hearted lather, he quickly leaned back, only submerging enough for his hair and kept his face well above the water line.

Checking once more to be sure all soap was cleared, he pulled the plug, climbing out quickly and yanking a towel off the rack. He wasted no time in drying himself off and getting dressed again, into the same clothes his been wearing for an unnatural amount of days and just now aware of how disgusting that must have seemed to everyone else now. Again, he spent a few minutes staring at his obscured reflection, mentally going over everything that happened these past few days, all of it catching up now. He had to keep reminding himself that the worst was over now, the most concerning parts were behind them.

He bit his lip, to the point where he feared he might break through, and used his fingers to comb through his hair, brushing it out of his face. As small as it may have been, he had to admit, he did in a way feel a lot better. Maybe it was because he was finally clean, or because he had a moment to himself, but whatever it was, it did help by a small degree. He shook his hands, shaking away the last of his festering nerves and turned the door knob, stepping out as a well of cool air hit him. It wasn't exactly chilled, but compared the steam he had just been marinating in, it felt rather cold.

"You sure took your sweet time in there." He jumped at the sound, not expecting one to come from so close, and even more surprising when it didn't come from either of the three in front of him.

His head swiveled towards the owner, eyes locking onto raven colored hair. "Noct," he breathed out, relief and disbelief wrapping the name. "You came back," he stated more than asked, although he still sounded unsure about that remark. Testing to make sure this was real, he reached a hand out and placed it on his shoulder.

The prince nodded subtly. "Well, yeah, what'd you expect? Like I said, being son of the king does have a few perks." Placing his hand over the blond's, he gently removed it in order to make his way back towards the others, where he leaned himself against the wall next to Ignis. "Things seem to be mostly cleared up, but they still want me to stick around until everything is cleaned up, I assume mostly so they can add up all the damages and charge us for those. Which might be quite costly given everything that's broken."

Gladio cleared his throat dramatically, "Sorry about that."

"I may have played a part in that as well," Ignis murmured, pushing his glasses up and dropping his gaze.

Prompto's throat constricted with that. "Well, that one was my fault," he kept his voice low, sounding slightly sheepish with the memory of that situation.

"Anyway," Noctis continued, "There's a lot of damage to the place, as we are all aware, and obviously all that will have to be paid for... as well as clean up. So, we'll have to scrounge up some more money, which means we're probably going to be stuck here for a while until we complete enough hunts to clear all those bills." He glanced over to Ignis, "And I'm assuming that will have to wait until at least a few more days, until everyone is up for it, that is."

Gladio clapped his hands together, interrupting him, "Or you and I can take care of those in the meantime. It would be a nice opportunity to teach you a few tricks without getting lectured," he cut his eyes over to the adviser.

In turn, the mean sighed deeply, not even trying to hide his clear annoyance, "I swear, if you two try anything that is overly dangerous or risky..."

"Don't worry, you know us, none of that will happen," Noctis offered a wry grin. "Right, Gladio?"

"Oh no, of course not."

There was a small twitch of his eyebrow, but he decided it was the best to just give in to them, let them have it their way rather than try and convince them. "Of course," he breathed out in frustration, "Do try to keep the brashness to a minimum if you are capable of that."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll try not to get into too much trouble," Gladio reassured. "Besides, if you recall correctly, I seem to remember it was the two of us saving your asses and not the other way around." He gave a quick wink, keeping it obvious that he meant no offense by that remark. "You guys just take it easy, Noct and I will go ahead and take a look around for anything up our alley. I think while we're gone, both of you should probably have something to eat." He threw a finger towards Ignis, "You for all that blood you left behind," next was Prompto, "and you for different reasons." The blond perked up with that statement, but nodded anyway. "We'll be back shortly. Iris, call if anything happens or if anyone needs anything."

* * *

 **This one is a bit short, and there is a short time skip before the next chapter, so I do hope you guys don't mind.**


	21. The Good Times

**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **This is it, the last chapter, and I have to say, the whole thing feels incredibly bitter sweet. Like, it feels nice to have completed it, but at the same time it feels strange. OnO**

 **And I cannot put into words how much I've appreciated all the readers, and the wonderful comments. They seriously make my day each time I read them. ^-^**

 **And songs I listened to are labeled before their respective sections. o3o**

* * *

 **One Week Later**

 **"Wake me Up" by:Aviici**

He stretched stiffly, the ache in his muscles giving way under the twists and turns of his body. A small tuft of blond hair dropped down into his face, tickling as it fluttered back and forth. With a quick huff, Prompto blew it away, only for it to come sliding back down. Now annoyed, he pulled a hand out from under the warmth and comfort of his cover and none too gently brushed it behind his ear. Soft light easily penetrated his eyelids, slightly greenish from the hue of the material it filtered through, giving it a more earthy appearance. But, that didn't make it any more welcoming. A groan and a few fidgets later, and he was sitting up, rubbing the lingering sleep from both eyes. He glanced around, being greeted by an empty tent, but the sounds drifting in from outside told him the rest of them were close by.

Taking a moment to fully wake up, his eyes scanned around the small closing, traveling along the edges until they eventually landed on his phone. Reluctantly, he picked it up, the time staring back at him. Nine thirty-three. That seemed pretty late compared to when Ignis would normally wake him, but even now there was no sign of the man. Well, no sign other than the clinging of utensils against pots and pans. His eyes wandered over, watching the display of shadows the sun created. Two of them playing out a sparring match, and the third standing relatively still, the hands occasionally stirring or moving things around.

So captivated by the show as he was, he felt a jolt run up through his arm as his phone went off. Heart now racing, and suddenly fully alert, he took a deep breath. He guessed it would take longer than he thought to get over that fear. The short burst of panic subsiding as the logical side of his brain took over, he opened the message, reading over it quickly, smiling to himself as the words poured in. 'Just wanted to be sure you guys are still up for tonight. Can't wait for it, so I hope to see you all soon.'

'Yeah, we finished up last night, so we should be able to make it back in time.' Sent. He breathed out, a sigh of contentment, and replaced the phone back where it was. For the first time in a while, he felt it. The feeling of pure and real excitement flowing through his veins. No more forcing it, no more putting on a show for the sake of the others. The feeling felt almost foreign, but in a good way. Not a trip to a third world country foreign, but like a resort in a high end tropical resort.

Brightness abruptly increased, nearly blinding him as Noctis' head poked through the entrance, a tired and worn out shimmer painted over his features. He let out a few pants, wiping the back of his hand across his brow, "Hey, Gladio said to get your ass up, or did you forget that 'deal' you guys had?"

The blond groaned loudly to himself, "I was hoping he forgot about that." He let himself fall backwards, arms spread out as he did so. "I thought the bets were just for fun," he half whined, vocally sounding his displeasure with the idea of working out. Which by itself wasn't that bad, but Gladio seemed to make it more like boot camp.

"Sorry, he said you might try to weasel your way out of it and said no excuses," he stepped the rest of the way in and tore the cover off him, balling it up and sticking it under his arm. "Come on before he comes in and gets you out himself."

"Fffffffine," Prompto rolled over, but still made no move to get up, "In a few minutes." Grabbing his pillow, he pulled it down, wrapping himself around in a death grip and buried his face. Slowly, he cracked an eye open, peering up at the other, grinning at the expression of annoyance plastered on him.

The prince dropped the blanket and folded his arms, "Alright, have it your way." The gunslinger closed his eye back and listened to the rustling of the tent as feet moved over it. Following that was a quick exchange of words just outside, spoken quickly and quietly making it difficult for him to pick up.

It didn't take much longer after that for a new set of footsteps to approach, these moving much more swiftly. "Sorry, a bet's a bet," Gladio's boisterous and interjecting voice caused his eyes to snap open. But, it was one second too late and he felt himself being forced away from his pillow, and just like that, he was lifted over the man's shoulder before he had the chance to break free.

"Hey!" he squirmed the best he could, "Is this really necessary?"

The shield laughed to himself, "You had your chance to come quietly." He tightened his grasp, preventing any further struggles the young man was gonna release, not that they were doing much anyway. "Now, I know you're not used to a real workout, so we'll start with something simple."

"Simple for you doesn't mean simple for me though," he provided a few more feeble kicks, each one landing uselessly against the brutes back. "Can't we start tomorrow or something?" A small and surprised gasp escaped when his position suddenly changed and he was placed on his feet.

Rubbing his hands together, the larger man smiled almost sadistically, causing a chill to run down the other's spine, "If it were up to you, this would never happen, so no, it's getting done now." He stretched backwards, doing the same with his legs and arms, "How about we start with a quick jog, just a few laps so your scrawny legs won't give out."

"They're not gonna 'give out,'" he assured, air quoting the last part, "I'll give up before they do, I can promise you that." He mirrored Gladio's actions, stretching each of his legs, straightening himself back up once he was sure it was enough.

Noctis grabbed one of the chilled waters, screwing the cap of and drinking a greedy amount as he seated himself in one of the chairs. He let out a sigh of relief as he watched on, glad it was Prompto's turn to be tortured by that man. As far as he could tell, he was usually the only one getting the short end of the stick when it came to training. "How long do you think he'll last?" he asked, glancing over to Ignis, "I give him five minutes."

Ignis offered a small noise of agreement, "Though I don't doubt Prompto's abilities, his lack of... physical activity definitely has had some effect on him. There is no denying that. But, he's stubborn, much like yourself, so I give him ten minutes."

"Being pretty generous there, aren't you?"

"Not at all."

* * *

His lungs felt like they would burst through his chest at any moment, how the hell was Gladio still going? Slowly, he came to a stop, legs shaking as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. He didn't realize how out of shape he was until he had to run at top speed just to keep up with the other man's brisk jogging. Taking a few more deep and slow intakes, he stood back up and pushed himself a bit more until he caught up to where the shield had stopped and waited. A firm pat on his back and he had to take a couple steps to keep from toppling over, "Well, you kept up better than I thought you would if that counts for anything."

"Gee, thanks," he panted out sarcastically, "Does that mean we're done?" There was a hint of pleading in his voice, and a load of begging in his eyes.

"Come on, one more lap, then you're free to go. Remember, you don't stop because you're tired. That's when you push more," he gave another rough pat on the back. "Not too much more," with that, he was running again.

Prompto shakily laughed to himself, "You're killing me here, I hope you know that." He blew out forcefully, gathering up the energy to give this one final go and prayed this wouldn't be the last thing he did. "Ok, you can do this, it's just like a walk, a really fast walk," he told himself, "Ok, here we go."

Gladio glanced behind him, surprised to see the blond actually close to catching up with him, and took that as his sign to speed up a little. He kept the acceleration subtle enough to not be noticed, but just enough to encourage the other to put a bit more effort into his own speed. It may have seemed a little cruel to someone else, but he saw it as him doing Prompto a favor. He was going to help him get his stamina and muscle capacity up one way or another, even if it meant him being hated by Prompto for a couple hours every morning.

Once he reached the end of their marked goal, he came to a stop, gazing over his shoulder as the other painstakingly reached him. He kept his eyes glued to him until he made it right next to him, "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"Go... die in a... hole," he dramatically fell to the ground, rolling over to his back with his eyes closed. "Just leave me here."

He was nudged in the side by the tip of a shoe, "Oh get up, it wasn't that hard. You'll live." stretching his hand down, the other took the offered assistance. "Let's get back, I'm sure Ignis is done with breakfast by now." With a grunt, he pulled the gunner up to his feet, tossing a heavy arm over his shoulders and practically pulled him along towards the campsite. "Tomorrow, I'm going with something a bit more challenging." The younger man visibly paled with that statement, causing him to chuckle a little, "Yup, afraid this was just the beginning."

"Please tell me you're joking," he slumped slightly as they walked, "I could barely do this."

"Yeah, but you did, which means we can take it up a notch."

He let out a breath of defeat, knowing there was no getting out of this; he had already sold his soul to the devil the moment he agreed to that bet. "A deal is a deal, still doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"I'll make sure you learn to love it," his tone was that of promise, not teasing and not humorous, but pure honesty, "Remember, it's only as difficult as you make it, so just try to have fun with it."

Prompto nodded in response, meeting his gaze for a quick moment before turning it back to the other two just ahead. From what he could see, the chef himself was just now portioning the meal out, setting theirs aside for them as they approached. "You actually made it back," Noctis joked, looking at the sheen that now covered Prompto and not himself, only his seemed to be a bit more caked on. "Lasted a hell of a lot longer than I thought you would."

"Well, thanks, glad to know you believe in me," he feigned hurt, placing a hand over his chest in mock pain. "So Iggs, what masterpiece do you have for us this morning?" Ignis just pointed to his plate, silently telling him to have a look for himself. "Hmm, not too shabby." He grabbed a plate and carried it over to his own seat and stabbed a fork down into the egg, satisfied with the way the yolk spilled out of the small incision.

Ignis felt the corner of his mouth tug upwards, it seemed like he finally had his appetite back, as well as some of his old spunk. For a little while he was afraid he had seen the last of both of those. "Hopefully, it is to your liking."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked between mouthfuls, "It's perfect." He stabbed his fork down again, this time into the rice that sat next to the golden delicacy, making sure he scooped some of the liquid paradise along with it. Individually they were already more than ideal, but combined was pure bliss. "I think you really outdone yourself this time."

"I wouldn't say that now, it's nothing special," he replied, but inside he had to admit, the compliment felt rather warming.

Prompto nearly choked on his food when he suddenly remembered. "OH!" he shouted with his remembrance, causing the other three to jump with the outburst, "I almost forgot. Iris texted me, wanted to know if we'll be back in time for tonight. I went ahead and told her yeah, buuuut, are we?"

"So, you lied to her is what you're saying," Gladio asked, pausing mid-bite.

The blond rubbed the back of his neck shyly and turned his head away, "I wouldn't say 'lied', that's such a harsh word. More like an educated guess."

"'Educated guess' huh? And tell me, what is this 'guess' based off of?" he pushed his fork into his mouth, keeping a close eye on Prompto's reaction.

"Uhhh, well," he stammered around his words, "I based it off of... my wanting to go?" he replied unsurely, looking everywhere around him except to the big guy himself, "That's a pretty valid source, ya know?"

"Not as valid as my patience with you right now," he leaned back further in his chair, tossing his left leg over the other. "But yeah, we should be back in time, as long as we don't make any unneeded pit stops along the way," his scrutiny glanced over to their driver, questioning his own assessment.

"Yes, we'll be there without delays," he confirmed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"If you're sure about that," Prompto leaned forward a bit. "I'd feel kinda bad if I had to text back and take back what I said." He pursed his lips, leaning back again, "So, we gonna turn this in, get our reward, then head over to pick her up?"

Ignis nodded as he chewed his own bite, "Most likely, yes." He swallowed before continuing, "And this should be enough to finish paying off the damages, or we can hope it's enough."

"That would be nice, doing hunts back to back gets a bit tiring," Prompto agreed, but he also knew, paying off their bills also meant they would be leaving Lestallum, and that part he wasn't looking forward. They've stayed there longer than anywhere since leaving Insomnia and it was beginning to feel almost like a second home, and honestly, he didn't think he was quite ready to be leaving. "Plan on departing as soon as everything is paid off?" he asked, already knowing what the answer to that would be, but he needed to hear it for himself.

"Yes, you know we still have to get to Altissia eventually, and we've already postponed this for long enough. Of course, I'll allow this last night for a bit of relaxing before getting back to the business at hand," he sat his cup to the side, standing up and walking around to gather everyone's dishes. "Go ahead and start packing everything, we should be going shortly."

* * *

 **"The Days" by:Aviici**

The sun was now lowering in the sky, slinking away and being replaced with the reality that this would be their last night here, despite already being aware of this, it still stabbed at his heart. Sure, it was the place where so much suffering and hardship had taken place, but that didn't necessarily cancel out the favorable things had occurred, and those moments, they were the ones that made this place special. The bonds, the healing and the amends are what made him value this city as much as he did now. He placed his head against the window as they drew closer, feeling like a child returning home after a long vacation. A whole two day vacation anyway.

He glanced over to Ignis, then at the other two through the mirror, each of them lacking the expression which he felt. Though, he doubted they had the same attachment as he had, or maybe they did and were just better at hiding it and dealing with it. Maybe they were dreading leaving just as much as he was. "Enjoy this last night while you all can, we're leaving first thing in the morning," Ignis announced, basically hammering the last nail in the coffin so to speak.

"Right," Prompto replied, accompanied by the hums of confirmation from the other two, as he stared out the windshield, various lights now coming into view. It seemed like an odd case of deja vu, reflecting that of when they arrived here just a week ago, but now it was completely different. Not just visual-wise, but sentimental-wise as well. Compared to the cities usual orange and warming aura that pulled people in, this was far more playful and enticing; an assemblage of colors of diverse shades and intensities. It was almost like a different world to him, and he was at loss for words for once. What could he say to describe the artistry before him? Excitement and anticipation bubbled up, ultimately extinguishing his growing dread.

"Noctis and I will turn this in, in the meantime the two of you can escort Iris," Ignis offered, now making sure they traveled with at least two of them together, no matter where it was they were going, or how short the journey.

Gladio shifted in his seat, leaning up slightly to position himself closer to Prompto. "Sounds good, don't you two get lost now," he dropped a hand on the blond's shoulder, squeezing it lightly as they slowed to a stop, "Let's get going, don't wanna keep her waiting, now do we?"

"O-of course not," he stuttered, fidgeting with his seat belt as clumsy hands worked to unlatch it, "Where are we meeting at?" He realized they never really talked about a set location in which to find each other at.

"Just stick close to me, I know the place," Gladio assured, thrust the door shut with the grace of an ox. "You know where to go, right?" he asked, turning his head to face Ignis.

"Yes, you made it pretty clear last night," he climbed out with much more elegance than the other had, "This won't take too long, so stay there when you meet."

Plan set in motion, Gladio and Prompto waved a quick hand of dismissal as they went their way, weaving in and out of the continuous expanding crowds; flourishing yellows, greens, and pinks fluttering and brushing their exposed skin in passing. Surprisingly, the sensation wasn't intrusive or alarming, in fact, it was anything but. It felt almost safe. They passed by multiple booths stationed around the streets, each with their own unique wares and merchandise, yet all of them feeling cohesive and belonging to the same family. More than once he found himself running a hand over some lush floral arrangements, or the occasional fluttering fabric accessory. The scenes and surroundings were more than mesmerizing, euphoric perhaps.

"This is amazing," he spoke softly, not to anyone in particular. "And this is a yearly thing?" It was near disbelieving that something like this existed, the way the atmosphere of one place could alter so drastically over the span of just a day or so.

"Yeah, one of their traditions. I've only been to a few myself, but I used to take Iris here when she was younger. Used to love the hell out of it and I'd have to almost drag her to get her back home every time," he laughed to himself, a deep and inviting sound. "Yup, a lot of memories made at this place."

Prompto's own face echoed that of his, seeing the enjoyment of his own memories spilling over to the younger. He thought back to his own childhood, a pang of hurt pricking at his heart as he was reminded of his lack of pleasant memories from his own past. But, at least he could make up for those now, he had to. "Ah, and there is our damsel in distress," Gladio's voice plucked him from his wondering mind. Glancing up quickly, he saw her, waving them over, her own vibrant and showy attire flickering in the breeze, creating a spectacle of delicate gradients.

She was standing next to a stand containing multiple colored sweets, most of which appeared to be lollipops and cotton candies. Of course there were cakes and many other treats, but those were the majority of what it had to offer. Her hand drifted upwards and began waving them over. "Hey!" she called out once they were within a close enough range, "You guys have to try some of this stuff out. It's all homemade, and I promise you haven't tried anything like it before."

"How much are they paying you to say that?" Gladio asked in jest, throwing a wink at the vendor, who found very little humor in the statement. "Alright, I guess we can try a little something."

"Pick whatever you want, it's my treat," she offered, bowing and gesturing towards the arrangement of sugar infused snacks.

"Well, that's nice and all, but we couldn't ask you to pay for it, if anything it should be the other way around," Prompto retorted, raising both hands in kind refusal.

Iris released a sound between amusement and gratitude, "Really, it's fine. All of you have been putting a lot of work into paying off your room, it's the least I can do." Without waiting for them to decide, and not giving them another opportunity to protest, she snagged a couple cones of sweetened fluff, handing one to each of them. Reaching into her pocket, she counted out the appropriate change and dropped it in the man's hand. "So, where are the others?"

"Oh, uh, thanks," the blond reddened slightly, "They went to collect our reward, they're on their way now... I think." He pinched of a chunk of cotton, plopping it into his mouth, eyes widening at the flavor and sweetness that struck his taste buds, but in a good way. "Wow, this is actually pretty good."

Gladio spoke after taking a more than generous bite out of his, "Do they really have a choice?" He shrugged, giving her the go ahead. They stood nearby as she made the purchases, the three of them stepping a few feet away so as not to block of others who wish to browse the shops.

For a few minutes they stood, watching and waiting, eventually catching sight of the pair sauntering over, Noctis looking a bit more than displeased with the amount of people he had to work around. Ignis, on the other hand, maneuvered through them with his normal ease. They had no chance to react, and not time to decline when their own treats where thrust towards them upon approaching, "What–?" Noctis stammered out, grabbing hold of the cotton candy. "What is this?"

"Just try it," Iris smiled. "Promise you'll love it." He fixed her with a skeptical look, he wasn't normally one to trust food you bought on the streets at festivals like this, but he had to admit, it did look quite alluring to the senses. Carefully, like Prompto had, he tore a piece off and gave it a taste.

"Hmm, not bad," he took another bite, "Hey Specs, you should figure out how to make some of this."

The latter let out a sigh of exasperation, "Noct, this is not real food, it's nothing but sugar." Despite what he said, he was taking his own testing tastes, letting it set on his tongue as he tried dissecting the various exploding flavors.

As they stood there, savoring the candies and talking among themselves and laughing at the occasional joke or embarrassing memory, most of which were at the expense of Iris this time, Prompto's eyes would wander, drifting off towards alleys and other corners, watching them warily and dropping out of the conversation at times. But, he was easily able to jump back in. Every small movement had his attention back over though, each time he expected to see something, yet came up empty with each fleeting glance. There was nothing, and he knew it.

A quick jab to his side, and a boom of sound overhead, and his focus was lured back in, "It's starting!" Iris exclaimed, pointing towards the sky, the gaze of the others trailing up after it. Artificial lights and stars were filling the sky, almost blocking out the real ones in their invasion.

Awe crashed into him from all directions. Yeah, he's seen fireworks before, but never had they seemed so grand. They were nothing compared to those in Insomnia when it came to size and design, but these brought on a sense of wonder and appreciation that the others failed to achieve. Frantically, he reached down and pulled out his camera, almost dropping it in his haste. "Everyone, step a little closer," he turned his back to the fireworks, waving the others in to gather in closer in order to get them all in frame along with the show behind them. With a flash, he turned the device around, staring back at the image of the five of them, all within view; the perfect backdrop for the occasion.

Throughout the entire night, every last minute of it, Prompto focused on his thoughts. Not just on the memories that still lingered behind him, but on the ones that awaited him as well; the ones he was making right then. About how and when he would be back to normal, although, deep down he knew the truth; he'd never really be the same. He'd always be paranoid and jumpy, never trusting new people and questioning those he already knew. But, that wouldn't stop him from trying, he'd still walk with his best foot forward and a smile on his face. Just because he was broken on the inside, didn't mean he had to be on the outside.

* * *

 **So, next is another quick and cute one-shot, then I'm going even darker, and I cannot express how excited I am to get to it. I feel like I'm better with the horror genre, so that's what I'm delving into next.**


End file.
